Chapter 13: Evidence and Arrest

You’re here to clear Rhys’ name, and I’m here to stop you.” Sarah’s grip tightened on her gun, her eyes narrowing as she tried to make sense of Harper’s words. “You’re working with Alexander Thorne,” she stated, her voice filled with a mix of anger and disbelief. “You’re part of this conspiracy, and you’re trying to frame Rhys for a crime he didn’t commit.” Harper’s smile faded, his expression turning serious. “You’re wrong, Kincaid. I’m not working with Thorne. I’m working against him. I’ve been gathering evidence against him for months, just like Lily. But I can’t do it alone.

I need your help, Detective Kincaid. I know you’re a good cop, one of the few left in this corrupt department. I need you to help me take down Thorne and clear Rhys’ name.”

Sarah’s mind raced as she tried to process Harper’s words. She glanced at Rhys, who looked just as confused and betrayed. “Why should we trust you, Harper? You’ve given us no reason to believe you’re not working with Thorne,” Sarah said, her voice laced with skepticism.

Harper’s expression turned grim. “Because I have evidence, just like Lily. I’ve been gathering it for months, and I have enough to take Thorne down.

But I need your help to make it stick. I can’t do this alone, Kincaid. I need you to trust me.” “And why should we trust you, Harper? You’ve given us no reason to believe you’re not working with Thorne.” I have recordings, emails, documents that prove Thorne’s involvement in the hacking ring and the frame job against Rhys. I have enough to take him down, but I need your help to make it stick.

Sarah’s eyes narrowed as she studied Harper’s face, searching for any sign of deceit. But all she saw was a man who looked as tired and beaten down as she felt. She glanced at Rhys, who gave her a slight nod, indicating that he trusted her judgment. Sarah took a deep breath and lowered her gun. “Alright, Harper. I’ll trust you. But if you’re playing us, if you’re working with Thorne, I swear to God, I will hunt you down and make you pay.” Harper nodded, his expression serious. And I promise, I’m not working with Thorne.

I want to see him behind bars as much as you do. We can’t trust anyone in the department. Not until we have enough evidence to take Thorne down and clear Rhys’ name.” “Alright, we’ll meet you at my apartment. But we need to be discreet. We can’t lead anyone back to Lily.” Harper nodded, his expression grim. I’ll meet you there in an hour. But be careful, Kincaid. Thorne has eyes and ears everywhere.

We can’t afford to slip up.” But we need to move now. We can’t stay here any longer.” Rhys looked at Harper, his expression guarded. “What about you? How are you going to explain this to your superiors?” “I’ll think of something. I’ll tell them I got a tip and I’m following up on it. But I can’t stay here either. I’ll meet you at your apartment, Kincaid. And we’ll figure this out together.” Sarah nodded, her eyes scanning the shadows one last time before turning to leave.

“Let’s go, Rhys. We need to get out of here.” They moved quickly, their footsteps echoing through the vast space as they made their way back to the car. The cool night air wrapped around them as they stepped out of the warehouse, the sound of distant waves lapping against the docks filling the silence. Sarah unlocked the car and they climbed inside, the engine roaring to life as she turned the key. She pulled out of the parking lot, her eyes scanning the road ahead for any signs of danger. “Do you think we can trust Harper?” Rhys asked, his voice low and cautious. Sarah kept her eyes on the road, her expression thoughtful.

“I don’t know, Rhys. I’ve known Harper for years, and I never thought he’d be involved in something like this. But then again, I never thought Thorne would be either.” She glanced at him, her expression serious. “We have to be careful, though. We can’t afford to trust anyone until we have proof.” Rhys nodded, his eyes scanning the road ahead. We need to be cautious. But if Harper is telling the truth, we might finally have a chance to clear your name and take down Thorne.” Sarah’s grip tightened on the steering wheel as she turned onto a quiet side street. “I hope you’re right, Rhys. I really do.

I’ve been working on this case for months, and I finally have enough evidence to take Thorne down. I need your help, Sarah. And Rhys, of course. You’re the key to all this. If we can clear your name, we can take Thorne down and expose the corruption in the department.” Sarah’s apartment was a cozy, two-bedroom place in a quiet neighborhood. It was filled with books, plants, and personal mementos that told a story of a life well-lived. Lily and Harper were already there when they arrived, sitting on the couch and deep in conversation. They looked up as Sarah and Rhys entered, their expressions a mix of relief and tension.

Sarah locked the door behind them and gestured for everyone to sit down. “Alright, let’s get to work. We don’t have much time.” She turned to Harper. “You first. Show us what you’ve got.” Harper nodded, pulling out a laptop from his bag. He opened it up and turned it to face them, revealing a folder filled with documents, audio files, and images. “I’ve been gathering evidence against Thorne for months. I have recordings of conversations between him and his associates, emails discussing the hacking ring and the frame job against Rhys, and documents that prove his involvement in various illegal activities.” He clicked on an audio file, and a voice filled the room.

It was Thorne, his voice cold and calculating as he discussed the details of the hacking ring and the plan to frame Rhys. Sarah’s heart pounded in her chest as she listened, her eyes locked onto the screen. Rhys sat next to her, his expression unreadable, but she could see the tension in his jaw.

“Here,” Harper said, pointing to a section of the transcript. “This is where Thorne talks about the plan to frame you, Rhys. He mentions that he has someone on the inside who can plant the evidence and make it look like you were involved.”

Rhys’s eyes narrowed as he leaned in to read the transcript.

“That’s it,” he whispered, his voice filled with a mix of anger and disbelief. “That’s the voice I heard on the phone that night. The one who gave me the tip about the hacking ring.” Sarah’s expression turned grim as she looked at Harper. “And you have proof of this?” she asked, her voice firm. “I have the audio recording, the transcript, and the email chain that discusses the plan. It’s all here.” He pointed to another file on the screen. “And I have this email from Thorne to one of his associates, discussing the need to ‘eliminate’ any loose ends.

I think it’s pretty clear who they’re talking about,” Harper added, pointing to a line in the email.

Sarah’s eyes scanned the screen, her heart pounding in her chest as she read the chilling words. She looked up at Harper, her expression serious. “This is good, Harper. Really good. But we need more. We need something that ties Thorne directly to the crime.”

Harper nodded, his expression determined. And I have it. But it’s not here. It’s in Thorne’s office, in a safe behind a painting.

I’ve seen it, but I couldn’t get a good look at what was inside. It’s a thick manila envelope, and I think it’s the key to taking Thorne down.” Sarah leaned back in her chair, her mind racing with thoughts of the task ahead. “We need to get into Thorne’s office and retrieve that envelope. But it won’t be easy. His office is in the Thorne Industries building, which is heavily guarded. And we can’t exactly walk in there and ask for a tour.” Lily spoke up, her voice filled with determination. “I can help with that. I still have access to the building, and I know the security routines.

I can get you in and out without being seen,” Lily said, her eyes meeting Sarah’s. “But we’ll need a plan. And we’ll need to move quickly. Thorne is always surrounded by security, and we can’t afford to be caught.”

Sarah nodded, her mind already racing with ideas. “Alright, here’s what we’re going to do. Lily, you’ll get us into the building and guide us to Thorne’s office. Rhys and I will create a distraction, something to draw Thorne and his security away from the office. While they’re occupied, we’ll slip in, grab the envelope, and get out.”

Harper leaned forward, his expression serious. “That’s risky.

What kind of distraction are you thinking of?” Harper asked, his brow furrowed.

Sarah smirked, a glint in her eye. “Leave that to me. I’ve got an idea. But we’ll need to move fast. Rhys, you’ll stay with Lily and keep an eye out. If things go south, you two get out of there, understand?” “Understood. But what about you, Sarah? You’ll be exposed.”

Sarah waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve handled worse than Thorne’s security. Now, let’s go over the details.

Lily, you’ll need to get us into the building without raising any alarms. Rhys, you’ll need to be ready to move quickly and quietly. Harper, you’ll be our eyes and ears, keeping an eye on Thorne’s movements. And me? I’ll be the one creating the distraction.

Lily nodded, her eyes scanning the room as if committing every detail to memory. “I know the building like the back of my hand. I can get you in and out without anyone noticing. But we’ll need to be careful. Thorne’s security is tight, and he has eyes everywhere.”