The screaming sirens of police cars grew louder and louder, finally arriving at the burned-out cannery. For Ace and his team, this sound was like a final, official announcement that their long and bloody war was over. They stood together in the middle of the ruins, watching as officers in uniform spread out across the scene. The beams from their flashlights cut through the dusty, smoky air.
They watched as Alistair Sterling was arrested. The man's face, once so cool and confident, was now twisted with the pain of his broken wrist and the crushing weight of his failure. He refused to look at them as an officer recited his rights and snapped handcuffs on him. Instead, he stared blankly into the distance, as if he could see the ruins of his own life.
