A man who frequently appeared on television speaking about public safety and the importance of integrity.
Sarah slowly sat down.
"Hayes is taking orders from him."
Daniel shook his head.
"Then the entire department is compromised."
A noise came from the corridor.
Footsteps.
Several people.
Daniel reached for his weapon.
Sarah turned off the light.
The footsteps stopped outside Unit 317.
A voice spoke.
"Open the door."
Daniel whispered.
"How did they find us?"
Sarah looked at the security camera above the corridor.
Then she understood.
The storage complex had been monitored.
Someone had known they would come.
The door handle moved.
Daniel raised his weapon.
"Police! Step away from the door!"
A gunshot exploded.
The lock shattered.
Three armed men entered.
Daniel fired toward the floor near their feet.
"Get down!"
Sarah grabbed the folder and ran toward a rear emergency exit.
Daniel followed.
They escaped through a narrow hallway and emerged into the parking lot.
A black SUV accelerated toward them.
Daniel pushed Sarah behind a parked truck.
The SUV crashed into a concrete barrier.
The driver climbed out.
Daniel recognized him.
Detective Robert Miller.
Miller raised his weapon.
Before he could fire, another shot rang out.
Miller fell to the ground.
Daniel turned.
A man was standing near the entrance.
James Wilson.
Daniel stared at his former partner.
"James?"
James lowered his weapon.
"Get in the car."
Daniel hesitated.
"Why should I trust you?"
James looked toward the approaching vehicles.
"Because Arthur is alive, and I know where they're taking him."
Inside a private detention facility, Arthur was sitting in a small room.
His wrists were tied.
A camera was mounted in the corner.
The door opened.
Captain Hayes entered.
He looked at Arthur with disgust.
"After all these years, you still refuse to give up."
Arthur raised his head.
"You should have left my son alone."
Hayes pulled out a chair.
"Your son made a terrible mistake."
"He wanted the truth."
Hayes smiled.
"Truth is an expensive luxury, Arthur."
He placed a photograph on the table.
It showed Michael.
Older.
Thinner.
But alive.
Arthur's eyes filled with tears.
"Where is he?"
Hayes leaned forward.
"Give me the key."
Arthur looked at the photograph again.
"Let me see my son."
"First, the key."
Arthur smiled faintly.
"You still don't understand."
Hayes frowned.
Arthur leaned closer.
"The key isn't the only copy."
Hayes's expression changed.
"What did you do?"
Arthur's smile disappeared.
"I made sure that if I died, the truth would still come out."
James drove through the city without speaking.
Daniel sat in the passenger seat, watching the streets pass by.
Sarah was in the back, holding the documents from Unit 317.
Nobody trusted anyone.
Not anymore.
Finally, Daniel turned toward James.
"Start talking."
James kept his eyes on the road.
"I made a mistake."
"You framed me."
James nodded.
"Yes."
"You stole my weapon."
"I didn't want to."
Daniel laughed bitterly.
"That's supposed to make me feel better?"
James said nothing.
Daniel leaned forward.
"Why?"
James's hands tightened around the steering wheel.
"Because they threatened my family."
The car became silent.
"My wife received photographs of our daughter. They knew where she went to school. They knew when I picked her up. They knew everything."
Daniel looked at him.
"Who threatened you?"
"Commissioner Blackwood's people."
"Hayes?"
"Hayes was the one who delivered the message."
Sarah leaned forward.
"Why didn't you come to us?"
James shook his head.
"Because they told me what happened to the last officer who tried."
Daniel stared at him.
"Who?"
"Thomas Walker."
Sarah went still.
James continued.
"Walker discovered the detention facility. He tried to report it. They made it look like a car accident."
Sarah looked down.
Her father had been murdered.
There was no longer any doubt.
James turned onto a deserted road.
"Where are you taking us?" Daniel asked.
"To a place where I can show you something."
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at a small house outside the city.
James unlocked the door.
Inside, the walls were covered with photographs.
Daniel approached one.
It showed Captain Hayes standing beside Commissioner Blackwood.
Another showed several men entering the Blackwood facility.
Another showed a police vehicle parked outside an abandoned hospital.
Sarah examined the photographs.
"Where did you get these?"
James opened a drawer.
"From Miller."
He removed a small recording device.
"Detective Miller kept copies of conversations. He was afraid Blackwood would eventually eliminate him too."
Daniel pressed play.
A man's voice filled the room.
Commissioner Blackwood.
"The Bennett situation must be resolved before the next election."
Another voice answered.
Hayes.
"Arthur has the key."
Blackwood laughed.
"Then make him talk."
"What about Michael?"
A pause.
"He's no longer useful."
Daniel stopped the recording.
Sarah covered her mouth.
They had just heard an order to kill Michael.
But there was something else.
The recording contained another voice.
A voice Daniel recognized.
His own police chief.
The man who had personally recommended him for the department.
Daniel stepped backward.
"How many people are involved?"
James shook his head.
"Enough to make sure nobody believes us."
At the same time, Arthur was being transferred to another location.
Two men escorted him through a corridor.
His hands were still tied.
He had refused to reveal where he had hidden the backup evidence.
Captain Hayes walked behind them.
"Last chance, Arthur."
Arthur looked at him.
"You killed my son."
Hayes stopped.
"Your son is alive."
Arthur turned.
"Then let me see him."
Hayes said nothing.
Arthur understood.
The captain was lying.
Or worse, he was planning to make sure Michael never returned.
Arthur suddenly pushed one of the guards.
The man stumbled.
Arthur ran toward a side door.
A guard grabbed his jacket.
Arthur fought desperately.
A second guard struck him in the stomach.
He fell to the ground.
Hayes approached.
"You're an old man. Stop making this difficult."
Arthur looked up.
"One day, someone will ask what happened here."
Hayes crouched beside him.
"And what will you tell them?"
Arthur smiled despite the blood on his lip.
"That you were afraid."
Hayes stood.
"Take him away."
Back at the safe house, Daniel's phone began ringing.
Unknown number.
He answered.
"Hello?"
A distorted voice spoke.
"Officer Carter."
Daniel immediately recognized the voice.
Captain Hayes.
"Where is Arthur?"
Daniel looked at James.
"I don't know."
"Don't lie to me."
"What do you want?"
Hayes laughed quietly.
"You've been very busy."
Daniel said nothing.
"I'll make this simple. Bring me the documents and the recording. In exchange, I'll let Arthur walk away."
Daniel looked at Sarah.
She shook her head.
"How do I know he's alive?"
Hayes paused.
Then a familiar voice came through the phone.
"Daniel..."
Arthur.
Daniel stood.
"Arthur! Where are you?"
A sharp sound followed.
Then Hayes returned.
"Midnight. The old municipal courthouse. Come alone."
The call ended.
Sarah grabbed Daniel's arm.
"It's a trap."
"I know."
"Then you're not going."
Daniel looked at the documents.
"If we don't go, Arthur dies."
James stepped forward.