Chapter Twelve – "Ghosts in Uniform"
The precinct looked different in the early morning light—cold, washed-out, sterile. Like a place that had never known justice, only the shadow of it.
Kael adjusted his collar and stepped inside, every step a test of willpower. He hadn't walked these halls in months—not since the investigation that nearly ended him. Not since Deputy Commissioner Adrian Wolfe.
Wolfe was a man carved from steel and smoke—tall, polished, calculating. A career officer with spotless credentials and dirtied hands, known for his ruthless ambition and quiet manipulation. Once, Kael had admired him. Trusted him.
Now, he walked into Wolfe's office like stepping into a lion's den.
The door opened with a soft click. Wolfe looked up from his desk, his silver hair combed perfectly, his eyes as unreadable as a mask.
"Well," Wolfe said, leaning back in his chair. "Kael Ramsey. Back from the dead."
Kael shut the door behind him. "I need a favor."
Wolfe chuckled. "Of course you do. That's the only reason anyone comes to me. But you… you're different. You have a reputation for not needing anyone."
"Desperation changes things," Kael said. "And right now, I'm being hunted."
Wolfe raised a brow. "By whom?"
"You already know," Kael said. "Moretti's people. Maybe Moretti himself. And I have reason to believe people inside this precinct are involved."
Wolfe's expression didn't flicker, but the air shifted.
"Go on."
Kael stepped forward, placing a sealed envelope on the desk. "I've got evidence. Names. Deals. Everything. But I need protection—for myself and the people helping me. I want this in federal hands."
Wolfe didn't touch the envelope.
"And why would I help you?" he asked.
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Because if this leaks and you're connected to any of it, your spotless record turns to ash."
For a long moment, silence.
Then Wolfe smirked. "Still the same Kael. Brave. Reckless. A little suicidal."
"I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees."
Wolfe finally picked up the envelope. He flipped it, weighed it like a threat.
"I'll look into this," he said. "But don't expect salvation. You're not the golden boy anymore."
Kael turned to leave.
"And Kael," Wolfe said behind him. "If you've brought a war into my precinct... you better be ready to bleed."
Kael didn't look back.
"I already am."
(Continued)
"Ghosts in Uniform" – Aurora's POV
The warehouse was dead silent except for the rhythmic clicking of Aurora's heels on the concrete floor. Every step echoed like a metronome of her growing rage.
She stopped at the far end, where the tech screens lit up the darkness. Luca, one of her most trusted analysts, didn't dare turn around until she spoke.
"What did you find?" she asked coldly.
Luca cleared his throat. "Kael visited the 9th Precinct this morning. Walked straight into Deputy Commissioner Wolfe's office."
Aurora's nails tapped once on the steel table. "Wolfe?" she repeated, voice deceptively calm.
"Yes. The same Wolfe who tried to ruin Kael's career two years ago. The visit was long. No cameras inside the office, but our contact said there was an envelope—Kael handed it over."
A low hum vibrated from Aurora's throat—neither approval nor fury. Something worse. Calculation.
"And Wolfe?" she asked.
"No move yet. But he made a call afterward. Private line. Scrambled. Probably Moretti."
Aurora turned slowly, face unreadable. But her eyes glowed with the fire of a woman betrayed.
"He knows what he's doing," she said, more to herself than to Luca. "He's trying to play a hand with no idea who's watching the table."
"Should I send someone after him?"
She turned, finally fixing Luca with her full attention. "No. Not yet."
"But—"
"I want to see how far he's willing to go," she said, voice like silk over a knife's edge. "If he thinks Wolfe is safety, he's even more naive than I thought."
Luca hesitated. "Do you think Wolfe will give him up?"
Aurora smiled. It didn't reach her eyes.
"Wolfe sells favors like wine at a funeral. If Kael offered him evidence… and Wolfe believes I'm part of it... then he's already deciding who dies first."
She walked to the corner where her weapons were laid out. She picked up a knife, examined its blade, then spoke again.
"Kael is getting too close to a truth he doesn't understand. He's forcing my hand."
Luca spoke carefully. "And if you're forced to choose between him and Moretti?"
Aurora paused.
"I already chose," she said quietly. "He just doesn't know it yet."
-(Continued)**
*"Ghosts in Uniform" – Wolfe's POV*
The envelope still sat on the desk, untouched.
Deputy Commissioner Adrian Wolfe stared at it for a long time after Kael had gone. The office was quiet now, the soundproofed walls keeping the chaos of the precinct at bay. But inside Wolfe's head, a storm raged.
Kael's visit wasn't a warning—it was a declaration of war. And the worst part? He came with ammunition.
Wolfe finally reached for the envelope. Tore it open. His eyes scanned the first few pages—and the color drained from his face.
Names. Transfers. Laundered accounts. Shipping manifests. Not just Moretti. Not just street thugs. But judges. Detectives. His own colleagues.
His own name.
"Goddammit," he muttered, standing abruptly.
He moved to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a drink. The bourbon burned down his throat, but did little to quell the dread.
He pressed a hidden button under his desk. A second later, the line connected.
"Get me Moretti."
A pause.
"Now."
The static silence didn't last long. A voice answered, smooth and amused.
"Well, well. I was wondering when you'd call."
"This isn't a game, Vincent," Wolfe snapped. "Kael came to me. With a file that could destroy everything. He has names."
The silence that followed was heavier than the one before.
"And did you take it?" Moretti asked coolly.
"I have it. But he wants to go federal."
Moretti chuckled darkly. "Then perhaps he needs reminding how easily people disappear when they dream of justice."
"I warned you," Wolfe said. "Bringing heat to my doorstep wasn't part of the deal."
"You're in this as deep as the rest of us, Wolfe. You don't get to wash your hands and play noble now. You've profited. Benefited."
Wolfe clenched his jaw. "And I've kept your operations running quietly. If this leaks—"
"It won't," Moretti interrupted. "Because if it does, I'll burn everything down, including you."
The line went dead.
Wolfe stood in silence, the dead phone buzzing faintly in his ear. Then he placed it back on the receiver and stared out the window.
Below, officers moved like chess pieces—most unaware of the war brewing around them.
He knew Aurora wouldn't sit still either. Kael was now a matchstick in a powder keg. And both wolves—Moretti and Aurora—were circling him.
Wolfe picked up the file again.
Kael had always been idealistic. But this? This was personal. And worse—it was smart.
Too smart.
Wolfe poured another drink and muttered under his breath.
"You should've stayed buried, Ramsey."
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