Chapter 15: The Deputy's Last Secret
I stared at the photograph until the screen began to dim.
Deputy Reed was alive.
But his face was bruised, and his uniform was torn.
Sheriff Voss stood behind him, holding a pistol against the back of his head.
The message beneath the photograph contained an address.
An abandoned textile factory outside Bellhaven.
Then another message arrived.
*COME ALONE IF YOU WANT HIM ALIVE.*
Greene read it over my shoulder.
"No.""
I looked at him.
"He's one of our witnesses.""
"It's a trap.""
"I know.""
"Then we're not going.""
I put the phone away.
"Deputy Reed helped expose the evidence records. He risked everything to do the right thing.""
Greene shook his head.
"Your Honor, if you go there alone, we may lose you too.""
"I'm not going alone. But whoever sent that message needs to believe I might.""
Greene understood.
He immediately began coordinating a controlled rescue operation.
We contacted the federal tactical team, arranged surveillance, and established an observation perimeter around the factory.
But there was another problem.
The address was in Bellhaven.
And Voss still had connections inside the county.
I called Deputy Cole.
He answered on the second ring.
"Judge Whitlock?""
"Deputy Cole, I need your help.""
His voice tightened.
"Is Reed okay?""
"We don't know. Have you seen Sheriff Voss?""
"No. He was taken into custody earlier.""
"Are you certain?""
"Yes, ma'am.""
"Who transported him?""
Cole hesitated.
"Two county deputies.""
"Names?""
He checked something.
"Deputies Mason and Fletcher.""
I looked at Greene.
"Those names appear in the original evidence logs.""
Greene nodded.
I returned to the call.
"Deputy Cole, I need you to stay where you are. Do not approach anyone without federal authorization.""
"Understood.""
Then he said something unexpected.
"Judge, there's something I've been meaning to tell you about Reed.""
"What?""
"He wasn't originally assigned to Voss's department.""
"Where did he work?""
"Federal detention services. He transferred to Bellhaven about eighteen months ago.""
I frowned.
"Why?""
"I don't know. But when he arrived, Sheriff Voss personally requested that he be assigned to his patrol unit.""
I looked toward Greene.
"Was that normal?""
Greene shook his head.
"No.""
I thanked Cole and ended the call.
The factory stood on the edge of Bellhaven, surrounded by empty warehouses and abandoned railroad tracks.
We arrived shortly before dawn.
The rain had stopped.
A single light glowed inside the building.
Greene examined the perimeter.
"Two vehicles near the loading dock. One at the rear entrance.""
"Any movement?""
"Not yet.""
I looked through the binoculars.
A figure appeared behind a broken window.
It was Reed.
He was sitting on a chair.
His hands were tied.
A second figure moved behind him.
Sheriff Voss.
I lowered the binoculars.
"He's alive.""
Greene nodded.
"Stay behind the vehicle.""
We waited.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
"Judge Whitlock.""
Voss's voice came through.
"Good morning, Your Honor.""
I looked toward the factory.
"Where is Deputy Reed?""
"Right here.""
"Let me speak to him.""
A chair scraped.
Then Reed's voice came through.
"Your Honor?""
"Are you injured?""
"I'm okay.""
Voss laughed.
"He's lying. But he will survive if you cooperate.""
"What do you want?""
"Come inside.""
"No.""
"Then perhaps your deputy won't be going home.""
I looked at Greene.
He signaled that the tactical team was in position.
I returned to the call.
"Why Reed?""
Voss paused.
"Because he knows too much.""
"About the evidence records?""
"About everything.""
I frowned.
"What does that mean?""
Voss lowered his voice.
"Your young deputy wasn't sent to Bellhaven by accident.""
I glanced at Greene.
He looked equally confused.
"Explain.""
"Reed was working for someone before he ever put on our uniform.""
"Who?""
Voss laughed.
"Ask him.""
The line went dead.
I immediately turned toward Greene.
"Find out where Reed worked before Bellhaven.""
"We're checking.""
A minute later, Greene's phone rang.
He listened.
Then slowly looked at me.
"Your Honor, Cole was right.""
"About what?""
"Reed was assigned to a federal investigative unit eighteen months ago.""
"Which unit?""
"Public corruption.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"Was he investigating Voss?""
Greene nodded.
"Yes.""
"Then why was he working for him?""
Greene checked the report.
"Undercover assignment.""
I looked toward the factory.
"Then Reed has been investigating Bellhaven all along.""
Greene shook his head.
"Apparently, yes.""
I remembered the first day.
Reed's hesitation.
His nervous expression.
The way he had documented the arrest.
His insistence on preserving the records.
He hadn't simply been a frightened young deputy.
He had been working undercover.
And now Voss had discovered his identity.
A loudspeaker crackled from inside the factory.
"Judge Whitlock!""
Voss's voice echoed across the empty lot.
"Come inside! It's time we finished this!""
I looked at Greene.
"Can we get a clear shot?""
He shook his head.
"Too many obstacles. Reed is directly in front of him.""
I stepped toward the entrance.
Greene grabbed my arm.
"Your Honor!""
"I need him to keep talking.""
I raised my voice.
"Voss! What happened to the evidence?""
He laughed.
"Which evidence?""
"The murder weapon. The original laboratory report. The eleven case files.""
"All gone.""
"Then why are you still holding Reed?""
"Because he has something you don't.""
"What?""
"The original list.""
I looked at Greene.
His expression changed.
The original list.
The eleven names.
And perhaps the identities of everyone who had benefited from the corruption.
"Where is it?"" I shouted.
Voss laughed.
"Reed has it.""
I looked through the broken window.
Reed raised his head.
His eyes met mine.
Then he slowly shook his head.
I understood.
He was warning me.
Voss continued.
"Come inside, Judge. Bring the key from Room 904.""
I looked at the key in my pocket.
The one Daniel Cross had given me.
"Why?""
"Because I have something you want.""
"What?""
Voss stepped into the light.
He held up a photograph.
It showed a young woman standing outside a school.
Emily Shaw.
Dr. Victoria Shaw's daughter.
My blood ran cold.
Voss smiled.
"She's alive.""
I stared at the photograph.
"Where is she?""
"Bring me the key.""
Greene leaned closer.
"Your Honor, don't do it.""
I looked at the factory.
Then at the photograph.
I knew Voss was lying about something.
But I didn't know what.
I stepped forward.
"Release Reed first.""
Voss laughed.
"You're not negotiating from a position of strength.""
"Then you have nothing to lose by releasing him.""
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then a side door opened.
A man emerged.
He was wearing a federal security uniform.
A scar ran along his jaw.
A slight limp marked his steps.
It was the man from the photograph.
The real Daniel Cross.
He looked directly at me.
"Judge Whitlock," he said.
Then he pointed his weapon toward the factory entrance.
"Put the key on the ground.""
Greene raised his weapon.
But Daniel spoke again.
"Before anyone does something foolish, you should know one thing.""
He stepped closer to the doorway.
"Deputy Reed isn't the only person who has been undercover in Bellhaven.""
I stared at him.
"Who else?""
Daniel smiled.
Then he looked toward Sheriff Voss.
"Your sheriff has been working for me for fourteen years.""
I felt the entire investigation shift beneath my feet.
Because if Daniel Cross had been controlling Voss all along, then the corruption network was not simply an operation that had gone wrong.
It was something deliberately built.
And Deputy Reed had just become the only person who could tell us how deep it went.
Voss suddenly shouted from inside the factory.
"Daniel, you promised me!""
Cross turned toward him.
"I promised you a way out, Dalton.""
He raised his weapon.
"Not a way to survive.""
May you like
A gunshot shattered the morning silence.
And the factory lights went out.
