CHAPTER 6 — "The Traitor Wore a Police Badge... But Shadow Refused to Trust Him."
The operation began before sunrise.
Police vehicles surrounded the abandoned farmland while helicopters circled overhead.
The red barn looked empty.
No lights.
No movement.
Too quiet.
Marcus studied the scene through binoculars.
"They know we're here."
Officer Daniel nodded.
"Should we move in?"
Before Marcus could answer...
Shadow began growling.
Not toward the barn.
Toward the officers standing behind them.
The German Shepherd slowly walked through the line of deputies.
Then suddenly stopped in front of Sergeant Victor Kane.
Victor forced a smile.
"Easy, boy."
Shadow's growl became louder.
The dog refused to move.
Marcus frowned.
"That's strange."
Victor laughed nervously.
"Maybe he doesn't like my aftershave."
No one laughed.
Shadow took one more step forward.
Then he sniffed Victor's boots.
Immediately, his ears shot upward.
He barked sharply.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Marcus looked down.
Victor's boots were covered with fresh reddish clay.
The exact same rare clay investigators had found around the hidden cabin in the forest.
"Where were you last night?" Marcus asked quietly.
Victor answered too quickly.
"At home."
"Forensics already confirmed the rain washed away most of the evidence," Marcus replied.
"So explain the mud."
Victor's face turned pale.
Without warning...
He shoved an officer aside and sprinted toward a waiting pickup truck.
"Stop!" Marcus shouted.
The truck roared to life.
Officers gave chase across the muddy fields.
But Victor had a head start.
He crashed through an old wooden fence and sped toward the highway.
Police helicopters followed from above.
Officer Daniel stayed close behind.
Finally...
Victor lost control while crossing a narrow bridge.
His truck spun sideways and slammed into the guardrail.
He stumbled out and tried to escape on foot.
Shadow reached him first.
The German Shepherd didn't attack.
Instead, he blocked Victor's path, barking furiously until officers caught up and placed him under arrest.
Back at headquarters, investigators searched Victor's phone.
What they found shocked everyone.
Encrypted messages.
Bank transfers worth millions of dollars.
Names of missing children.
And one final message from an unknown number.
PHASE TWO BEGINS TODAY.
Marcus felt a chill run down his spine.
Victor wasn't the mastermind.
He was only one piece of a much larger organization.
Just then, Ethan regained consciousness in the hospital.
Emily rushed to his bedside.
He opened his eyes slowly.
His first question wasn't about himself.
"Did you stop them?"
Emily hesitated.
"We arrested one of them."
Ethan closed his eyes.
"No..."
"You caught the wrong man."
Emily stared at him.
"What do you mean?"
Ethan looked toward the window.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"The real leader..."
"...visited my hospital room less than an hour ago."
Emily's blood ran cold.
"But... no visitors were allowed."
Ethan nodded.
"I know."
"He was wearing a doctor's coat."
"And no one questioned him."
Somewhere inside the hospital...
A man calmly removed a white medical mask.
He smiled as he walked toward the elevator.
In his pocket...
Was a flash drive containing the identities of every witness who had survived.
May you like
The hunt had entered its most dangerous stage.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Related Stories
