Liora POV
"I'm the one who's been helping him."
Detective Morrison's words echoed in my head as I ran through the dark streets toward the police station. I had been listening through the secret microphone Maya gave me hours ago - a backup plan in case things went wrong.
And things had gone very wrong.
My best friend Selene and Arius were in jail, framed by a corrupt detective working with her apparently dead father. I was the only one who knew the truth, and I had exactly one chance to save them before it was too late.
I burst through the police station doors like a storm.
"I need to see Detective Morrison right now!" I demanded at the front desk.
The desk sergeant looked up at me with tired eyes. "Ma'am, it's two in the morning. Unless this is an emergency—"
"It is an emergency! He's about to let two innocent people go to jail!"
"I'll need you to calm down and explain what—"
"There's no time!" I pulled out my phone and played the clip Maya had made. Detective Morrison's voice came through clearly: "I'm the one who's been helping him."
The desk sergeant's eyes went wide. "Where did you get this?"
"From someone who's been investigating corruption in your department. Detective Morrison is working with Marcus Moonstone to frame the Blackwood and Moonstone families."
"Ma'am, Marcus Moonstone died five years ago."
"No, he didn't! He faked his death, and Detective Morrison helped him do it!"
Before the sergeant could reply, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned and saw Detective Morrison walking toward us, coffee in hand, looking easy and confident.
"What's all the noise about?" he asked lightly.
My heart started racing. He didn't know I had recorded him. This was my time.
"Detective Morrison," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I have information about the Blackwood-Moonstone case."
"Oh? What kind of information?"
"I know who the real mastermind is."
His eyes got sharper, more interested. "Do you now?"
"Yes. It's someone who has access to police tools. Someone who could plant evidence and manipulate probes. Someone who's been planning this for years."
Morrison nodded slowly. "That's quite an idea. Any proof?"
I held up my phone. "As a matter of fact, yes."
For just a second, I saw fear flash across his face. Then he smiled.
"Well then, let's go somewhere private to discuss this." He pointed toward the interrogation rooms. "We wouldn't want to disturb other people with wild accusations."
"I think we should discuss it right here," I said firmly. "In front of witnesses."
"Miss, I insist." His voice got harder. "Police business should be handled privately."
The desk sergeant was watching our talk with growing concern. I could tell he felt something was wrong but wasn't sure what.
"Actually," I said loudly, "I think everyone here should hear what Detective Morrison told Arius Blackwood an hour ago."
"What are you talking about?" Morrison asked, but sweat was starting to form on his forehead.
I pressed play on my phone. Morrison's taped voice filled the station: "I'm saying Marcus Moonstone isn't working alone. He has help from inside the police force. Because I'm the one who's been helping him."
The quiet that followed was deafening.
Morrison's face went white, then red, then white again. The desk sergeant was looking at him in shock. Other cops who had heard the recording were gathering around.
"That recording is fake," Morrison said quickly. "This girl is obviously working with the terrorists to discredit the investigation."
"I'm working with Maya, the family mediator," I shot back. "She's been investigating corruption in this case for months."
"Where is Maya now?" the desk sergeant asked.
"She's gathering more proof. But she sent me here to make sure Detective Morrison doesn't destroy the evidence he's gathered or hurt Arius and Selene."
Morrison was looking around desperately, realizing his cover was blown. "This is ridiculous. I've been a detective for fifteen years. Why would I throw my job away to help a dead man?"
"Because Marcus Moonstone isn't dead!" I shouted. "And you've been helping him frame both families so someone else can take over their businesses!"
"Who?" Morrison asked. "Who would want to take over their businesses?"
That's when I realized I didn't know the answer to that question. Maya and I had figured out that Morrison was corrupt and working with Marcus, but we hadn't found who was pulling the strings at the top.
"I... I don't know yet," I admitted.
Morrison's smile came back. "You don't know because you're making it all up. This recording could be made with any voice-changing app."
The other cops were starting to look uncertain again. Maybe Morrison was right. Maybe the recording wasn't enough proof.
That's when my phone rang. Maya's number.
"Answer it," the desk sergeant said. "Let's hear what your partner has to say."
I put the phone on speaker.
"Liora," Maya's voice was eager and scared. "Get out of there right now!"
"What's wrong?"
"I found out who's really behind everything. It's not just Marcus and Morrison. There's someone much bigger involved."
"Who?" "The Chief of Police. "
Everyone in the station went silent.
"Chief Harrison has been planning this for years," Maya added. "He wants to destroy both families so his own shipping company can take over their area. He's been using Morrison as his inside man."
Morrison was backing toward the exit now, his face terrified.
"There's more," Maya said. "They're going to transfer Arius and Selene to a private prison tonight. Once they're there, they'll disappear forever."
"What do you mean, disappear?" I asked, though I was afraid I already knew.
"I mean they'll have a 'accident' that makes sure they can never testify about what really happened."
My blood turned to ice. "We have to stop them!"
"It's too late. The moving van left ten minutes ago."
"Where are they taking them?"
"I don't know. But Liora, you need to get out of that place right now. If Chief Harrison learns you know the truth—"
The line went dead.
I looked around and realized Morrison was gone. The other cops were staring at me with a mixture of shock and suspicion.
"Where's Detective Morrison?" I asked.
"He left," the desk sergeant said sadly. "Right after your friend mentioned Chief Harrison."
"We have to find Arius and Selene!"
"Miss, if what you're saying is true, this goes all the way to the top. We can't trust anyone in this area."
That's when all the lights in the police station went out.
Emergency lighting flickered on, creating eerie shadows everywhere.
"What's happening?" someone shouted.
"Lockdown protocol," another officer said. "Someone triggered the security system."
"From where?" "The Chief's office."
I realized with rising horror that Chief Harrison wasn't just corrupt - he was willing to lock down his own police station to cover up his crimes.
"We're trapped," I whispered.
That's when I heard something that made my blood freeze.
Footsteps. Heavy boots. Coming down the hallway toward us.
And a voice I didn't recognize, cold and mechanical: "Everyone stay calm. We're here to clean up some loose ends."
Through the dim emergency lights, I saw armed figures in black moving through the station.
The same outfits the masked men had worn at the gala.
Chief Harrison wasn't just covering up his sins.
He was removing all the witnesses.