Justices Has A Price (part 2)
905 Words
The restaurant fell silent.
Every conversation came to an abrupt stop as the news anchor continued speaking.
«"Authorities have confirmed that Victor Marino, who was awaiting trial for financial crimes, was found dead in his prison cell less than an hour ago. Officials believe the incident is under investigation, though no further details have been released."»
Amelia stared at the television, unable to look away.
Just hours ago, Victor had been alive.
Terrified.
Begging her not to trust the police.
Now he was dead.
"Amelia?" Sophia called softly.
She blinked.
"I... I have to go."
"Now?"
"I'll explain later."
Without waiting for the bill, Amelia grabbed her briefcase and hurried outside into the pouring rain.
The cool night air hit her face, but it did little to calm the storm raging inside her mind.
Victor's words echoed over and over.
"If I don't make it to tomorrow's hearing... don't trust the police."
He had known.
Somehow, he had known he wasn't going to survive.
---
By the time Amelia reached her apartment building, the rain had become heavier.
She climbed the stairs to the third floor and unlocked her door.
The apartment was quiet.
Too quiet.
She placed her keys on the kitchen counter before removing her heels.
Her phone buzzed again.
This time it was an email from the court informing her that Victor's case had officially been closed.
Closed.
Just like that.
A man was dead, and the system had already moved on.
Amelia sighed and walked toward her desk.
She opened Victor's file one last time.
There had to be something she had missed.
Something that explained why he was so frightened.
As she flipped through the papers, a loud knock echoed through her apartment.
Three slow knocks.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
She frowned.
At nearly ten o'clock?
She walked cautiously toward the door.
"Who is it?"
No answer.
She looked through the peephole.
A delivery courier stood outside holding a large brown envelope.
"I have a package for Miss Amelia Hayes," the man called.
"I didn't order anything."
"It was prepaid."
Still uneasy, Amelia unlocked the door just enough to accept the envelope.
The courier nodded politely before leaving without another word.
She watched him disappear down the hallway before closing and locking the door again.
There was no return address.
Only her name written neatly across the front.
Her pulse quickened.
Carefully, she opened it.
Inside was a thick black folder.
A silver flash drive.
And a folded handwritten note.
Her hands trembled as she unfolded it.
«If you're reading this... I'm already dead.»
Victor.
It was his handwriting.
She continued reading.
«Everything they told you about me is a lie. The people responsible aren't just criminals-they wear suits, carry badges, and sit in government offices. The truth is inside this file. Trust no one. Especially not the police.
Amelia's breath caught.
She quickly opened the folder.
Photographs.
Bank records.
Lists of names.
Judges.
Politicians.
Senior police officers.
Business executives.
Every page connected powerful people to organized crime.
At the bottom of the final page was one name circled in red.
Dante Romano.
She had heard the name before.
Everyone had.
The newspapers called him a ghost.
The police called him the country's most wanted crime boss.
No photograph had ever been confirmed.
No one seemed to know what he actually looked like.
A sudden chill ran down her spine.
If these documents were real...
People would kill to keep them hidden.
Her phone rang again.
Unknown Number.
This time she answered immediately.
"Who are you?"
A deep male voice replied.
"They know you have the file."
Amelia's heart pounded.
"What file?"
"You have exactly five minutes before they come."
"Who are you?"
Instead of answering,the line went dead.
Silence filled the apartment.
Five minutes?
This had to be some kind of sick joke.
She looked at the folder again.
Then toward the front door.
A loud crash shattered the silence.
The sound came from her living room window.
Glass exploded across the floor.
Amelia screamed and stumbled backward.
A masked figure climbed through the broken window.
Then another.
And another.
One of them pointed directly at her.
"Take the file."
Amelia's blood turned to ice.
Victor had been telling the truth.
She grabbed the folder and sprinted toward the apartment door.
Behind her, heavy footsteps thundered across the living room.
"Hurry!"
"Don't let her escape!"
Her hands shook so violently she almost dropped her keys.
She unlocked the door and raced into the hallway.
The stairwell echoed with her frantic footsteps.
She didn't dare look back.
She burst out of the building into the rain-soaked street.
The road was nearly empty.
She ran without knowing where she was going.
Her lungs burned.
Her heartbeat roared in her ears.
Suddenly...
A sleek black SUV pulled to a stop directly in front of her.
Its headlights cut through the rain.
The rear passenger door opened slowly.
A tall man stepped out.
He wore a perfectly tailored black suit beneath a long dark coat.
Rain rolled off his shoulders as if it didn't dare linger.
His face remained calm.
Unreadable.
Power radiated from him without a single word.
Amelia froze.
The masked men burst from the apartment building behind her.
"There she is!"
The stranger glanced over Amelia's shoulder before meeting her frightened eyes.
His voice was low and steady.
"If you want to live..."
He extended his hand.
"...get in the car."
- Writer
