Chapter 2 - The Bleeding TrailThree miles away, inside the glass-and-steel monolith of the Greyhaven Police Headquarters, Captain Thomas Vance—no relation to the underground doctor, but tied to Vincent by blood and bribery—slammed his fist onto his mahogany desk.
“What do you mean she’s gone?” Captain Vance roared at the two terrified patrol officers standing before him.
“Sir, Detective Quinn’s unmarked cruiser was found abandoned three blocks off River Street,” Officer Miller stammered, holding his cap in trembling hands. “The driver-side door was wide open. Blood on the pavement. Spent casings from a Glock .45 on the asphalt. But no body.”
“Search parties?”
“Internal Affairs is already sniffing around, sir. They think she went rogue on a late-night sting and walked into an ambush.”
Captain Vance dismissed them with a flick of his hand. Once the heavy oak door clicked shut, he walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the rain-slicked city skyline. The city lights blurred through the streaming water on the glass.
He pulled a burner phone from his pocket and dialed a secure number that hadn't been used in six months.
It rang twice before a deep, calm voice answered.
“Speak.”
“Vince, it’s Tom,” the Captain said, his voice tight with panic. “The entire department is upside down. Sarah Quinn went missing an hour ago. Internal Affairs thinks she was hunting your shipping docks again. If they find out you have her—alive or dead—the peace we’ve maintained for a decade is over. They’ll bring down the federal racketeering charges tomorrow.”
On the other line, there was a long pause. The sound of a lighter clicking open and shut.
“She’s not at the docks, Tom,” Vincent replied slowly.
“Then where is she?”
“She’s with me.”
Captain Vance felt the blood drain from his face. “You absolute fool! Why didn’t you let her bleed out in the alley? You’ve got half the city looking for her! If she wakes up, she’ll arrest you from your own hospital bed!”
“She whispered something before she passed out, Tom,” Vincent said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low hum. “She said Elena’s name.”
The line went dead silent. Captain Vance stopped breathing. The rain lashed against the skyscraper window, but inside the office, time seemed to freeze entirely.
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“...What did you say?” Tom breathed out.
“You heard me. Now listen to me very carefully, Tom. Find out who ordered the hit on her tonight. Because whoever tried to silence Detective Quinn inside my territory isn't just trying to cover up police business. They’re digging up the past. And if they want her dead, they’re going to have to go through me.”
