Chapter 3 - Going Dark
"I'll give my statement at the precinct," Marcus said, backing toward his SUV. "But my kid needs a hospital."
Before Miller could object, Marcus threw himself into the driver’s seat, slammed it into gear, and floored the accelerator. The SUV roared to life, tearing across Beatrice’s pristine lawn and smashing through the neighborhood gates.
"Hold on, Leo!" Marcus yelled as he swerved onto the highway. He didn't go to the hospital. A hospital was a trap. Instead, he drove to an underground parking garage downtown, ditched the heavily tracked police cruiser, and stole a 1998 Honda Civic with a screwdriver.
He drove two hours north into the swamplands, pulling up to a rusted-out trailer hidden beneath weeping willows. It belonged to Huck, an ex-Marine and retired detective who owed Marcus his life.
"Huck!" Marcus banged on the metal door. "I need sanctuary."
Huck opened the door, a shotgun casually slung over his shoulder. He took one look at Marcus and the pale, wheezing boy, and stepped aside. "Come on in, brother."
Inside the dimly lit trailer, Marcus plugged the micro-SD card into Huck’s encrypted laptop. The grainy drone footage played on the screen. It showed the warehouse roof. Down in the alley below, Deputy Chief Miller was executing a bound man with a single shot to the head, while Beatrice Sterling stood by, holding a briefcase.
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"Mother of God," Huck muttered. "The HOA president?"
"She's cleaning his dirty money," Marcus realized. "Using the neighborhood association’s bloated construction contracts to launder cartel cash."
