Chapter 12 - THE TRAITOR BEHIND THE BADGE“NICK, THE MAN WHO TRIED TO MOVE EMILY OUT OF THE HOSPITAL ISN'T JUST WORKING FOR SEBASTIAN. HE'S BEEN GIVING HIM POLICE INFORMATION FOR MONTHS—and TONIGHT HE'S COMING FOR THE LAST WITNESS.”
Detective Ortiz arrived at my temporary apartment shortly before midnight.
I had moved out of my penthouse.
The building was too closely connected to Mitchell Holdings, and I no longer trusted its security personnel.
My new apartment was small, quiet, and painfully ordinary.
There was a kitchen table.
A couch.
One bedroom.
No private elevator.
No armed men standing outside the door.
For the first time in years, I could hear my neighbors moving around upstairs.
I found the sound strangely comforting.
Ortiz spread several documents across the table.
“Caleb Ward has been receiving payments from companies connected to Sebastian.”
I stared at the financial summaries.
“How long?”
“At least eleven months.”
“And nobody noticed?”
“He concealed them through intermediaries. But investigators have identified a pattern.”
I looked at the payments.
They matched several suspicious transfers from Blue Lantern's accounts.
“Sebastian bought himself a police officer,” I said.
Ortiz shook her head.
“Ward chose to sell his badge. That's on him.”
I looked up.
She was right.
It was easy to treat corruption as something done to people.
But Ward had made his own choices.
Just as I had.
“Where is he now?”
“We're working to locate him.”
“Is Emily protected?”
“Yes. Her location is restricted, and the people assigned to her have been carefully vetted.”
I nodded.
“What about Mara?”
“She's with Ben at a protected location.”
“And the other missing women?”
“We're following a lead connected to North Quay's transportation records.”
I looked at the photograph Sebastian had sent me.
Blue Lantern House.
Families eating dinner.
Children who believed the building would keep them safe.
“Do you think he'll attack the shelter?”
Ortiz studied the image.
“I think he's trying to make you frightened enough to act without thinking.”
I stared at her.
“It's working.”
“Then don't give him what he wants.”
I took a long breath.
“What do you need from me?”
“Information. Cooperation. And no surprises.”
I nodded.
“You have it.”
The next morning, Emily called me.
She sounded tired.
“Nick?”
“Hey, sweetheart.”
There was a brief silence.
I immediately corrected myself.
“Sorry. Emily.”
She surprised me with a quiet laugh.
“It's okay.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Better. Still sore.”
“And the baby?”
“Apparently very busy.”
I smiled.
“Already causing trouble?”
“Not trouble. Just reminding me someone's in there.”
For a few seconds, the world felt almost normal.
Then her voice changed.
“Nick, I need to tell you something.”
My smile faded.
“What is it?”
“Detective Ward came to see me before I was moved to the secure room.”
I sat upright.
“When?”
“Two days ago. He said he needed to ask questions about the garage.”
“Did you speak with him?”
“A little. But something bothered me.”
“What?”
“His voice.”
My chest tightened.
“The attacker?”
“I can't be certain,” she said quickly. “I hit my head. I was frightened. I don't trust my memory completely.”
I forced myself to remain calm.
“Tell Ortiz exactly what you remember.”
“I already did.”
“Good.”
Emily hesitated.
“Nick, I think the man who attacked me knew I'd recognize him if I saw his face.”
“Why?”
“Because he kept telling me not to look at him.”
I closed my eyes.
The possibility that a police detective had personally attacked my pregnant wife made my hands tremble.
But I remembered my promise.
No threats.
No revenge.
No more acting as though violence would fix everything.
“Emily,” I said, “I'm glad you told Ortiz.”
She was quiet.
Then she whispered, “You really are trying, aren't you?”
I looked around the small apartment.
At the cheap table.
The mismatched chairs.
The life I once would have considered beneath me.
“Yes.”
I swallowed.
“I just wish I'd started sooner.”
Later that afternoon, Ava arrived carrying a bag of groceries.
“You look terrible,” she announced.
“Nice to see you too.”
She placed the bag on the counter.
“There's bread, soup, fruit, and actual vegetables.”
“I know what vegetables are.”
“Apparently not. Your refrigerator contained mustard and bottled water.”
I almost smiled.
For a few minutes, we prepared lunch together.
It reminded me of childhood.
Before money had become a measure of worth.
Before I believed every problem required someone else to solve it.
Then Ava's phone rang.
Her expression changed.
“It's Naomi.”
She answered.
“Naomi? What's wrong?”
I watched the color drain from her face.
“What do you mean?”
She looked at me.
Then she whispered, “Call Detective Ortiz.”
I was already reaching for my phone.
Naomi had received an official-looking notice instructing the shelter to prepare for a building inspection.
The notice claimed a police security team would arrive that evening.
But Ortiz hadn't authorized any inspection.
And one of the names listed on the document was Caleb Ward.
I immediately called her.
“Detective, Ward may be heading to Blue Lantern.”
“We're already responding,” she said.
“Sebastian threatened the shelter last night.”
“I know. We're arranging for the residents to leave.”
“Is Naomi still inside?”
“Yes, but officers are on the way.”
I gripped the phone.
“Please hurry.”
Ortiz's voice remained firm.
“Nick, stay where you are.”
The old me would have ignored her.
I would have gathered men and driven there myself.
Instead, I stood in my kitchen, helpless, while someone else's safety depended on people who weren't under my command.
Ava watched me.
“Nick?”
I looked at her.
“Ortiz is sending help.”
She nodded.
We waited.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Then Ortiz called again.
“Ward has been located.”
“Where?”
“Near the shelter. Officers detained him after he attempted to use a fraudulent authorization to access the building.”
I exhaled.
“Thank God.”
“But we have a problem.”
My relief vanished.
“What?”
“He was carrying information suggesting Sebastian intended to destroy financial records stored inside Blue Lantern House.”
“Destroy how?”
Ortiz hesitated.
Then I heard shouting behind her.
Someone yelled for additional emergency units.
An alarm sounded.
“Detective?”
She didn't answer.
“Ortiz!”
Her voice returned, sharp and urgent.
“Nick, there's a fire.”
My blood turned cold.
“Where?”
“At Blue Lantern House.”
I moved toward the door before forcing myself to stop.
“Are the residents out?”
“Evacuation is underway.”
“And Naomi?”
“We're checking.”
Ava grabbed my arm.
“What's happening?”
I stared at her.
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
Then another voice came through the phone.
A firefighter.
“Two people are unaccounted for on the second floor.”
My heart hammered.
Ortiz spoke again.
“Nick, listen carefully. You cannot interfere with the emergency response.”
I closed my eyes.
“I won't.”
May you like
Then she said the words that made my knees weaken.
“Naomi went back inside for a four-year-old girl. Neither of them has come out.”
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