The storm clouds hung low over Ridgecliff as Chief Tyson's car tore through the narrow alleys of the Mainlands district. The town is still waking up, its streets quiet save for the distant bark of a dog and the muted hum of early morning vehicles. Beside him in the front seat, Judith sat upright, alert, her eyes focused but uncertain.
Chief Tyson gripped the steering wheel tightly, his jaw set. The tension in his muscles is visible in the white knuckles and the tight lines around his eyes. It wasn't just about protocol anymore. It wasn't even about maintaining order. Something personal had shifted.
There were two attacks now. The world is watching the British envoy incident, and now his own people—Robert—had been assaulted. Something was unraveling fast, and Brendon's involvement in Lagooncrest Isle had pushed it over the edge.
Judith broke the silence. "Do you think Robert knows more than he told us before?"
Tyson didn't take his eyes off the road. "If he doesn't, I'll be surprised. But if he does—he's about to learn that lying to me isn't something that ends well."
The car came to a screeching halt outside a modest two-story building at the end of Maple Street. A worn but well-kept garden stood outside, freshly watered. The house had the quiet, careful look of someone who preferred routine and solitude.
Chief Tyson didn't knock. He banged his fist hard on the door three times.
Moments later, the door creaked open. Robert appeared, arm in a sling, bruises darkening his cheekbone and under one eye. He looked surprised to see them.
"Chief? Judith?" he said, stepping back to let them in. "Didn't expect you this early."
Tyson pushed inside. "Sit down, Robert. We've got a problem."
Judith gave him a quiet nod as she followed behind. The living room was clean but clearly lived in. A few books scattered across the table, a mug of tea—still steaming—sat half-finished.
Robert limped slightly as he took a seat. "If this is about last night, I already gave my statement."
Tyson didn't sit. He paced slowly in front of the fireplace, arms crossed. "It's not just about last night. It's about Brendon."
Robert stiffened. "What about him?"
Tyson turned to face him. "Don't play dumb. We know Brendon's little vacation was a cover. He went to Lagooncrest Isle. Without telling me. Without authorization. And without backup."
Judith added, "He spoke to someone we now suspect was connected to the British envoy's kidnapping. Someone we believe may have infiltrated Robert's home as recently as yesterday."
Robert leaned forward slowly. He sighed. "I knew it was a bad plan. Told Brendon the same."
Tyson narrowed his eyes. "Then start talking. Everything. From the beginning."
Robert looked between them. He scratched the back of his neck, his posture tense. "Alright. It started around three weeks ago. You remember when Mr. Hudson came to the sheriff's office?"
"Yes," Tyson said.
"He asked Brendon to look into his niece, Amelia. Missing for over a month. That's what you all know. What you don't know is that right after Hudson left, Brendon got a call."
He paused.
"A woman. Her name was Natasha. She claimed she was kidnapped. The call was short. Poor connection. But before it dropped, she said one word clearly: Lagooncrest."
Judith raised her brows. "So Brendon went there… for that?"
Robert nodded. "He tried to make it official, but the dots didn't connect. So he went undercover. Told everyone—including you—that it was a vacation. But he was working. Hunting."
Tyson asked sharply, "Why not come to me? We could've made it formal. Sent a team."
"He didn't trust it. Said the whole thing felt off. Said if the kidnapper knew we were onto her, the trail would go cold. And then there was Zoe."
"Zoe?" Judith tilted her head.
Robert gestured vaguely. "A girl. Young. Smart. Brendon's been working with her on the side. Her brother's missing too. Same pattern—teenage disappearance. No leads. Police reports buried. All dead ends."
Judith frowned. "So… are you saying Brendon found Amelia?"
Robert nodded. "He did. She wasn't kidnapped."
Tyson stepped closer. "Explain."
"She was found guilty of holding two teenagers hostage in a house in Duckinghum Caves. She's in jail now, under the local magistrate's authority in Lagooncrest. Brendon didn't want to believe it at first. But the evidence was damning. And yet…"
He hesitated.
"And yet?" Judith pressed.
"He still didn't feel right about it. Said Amelia didn't seem like herself. Like something else was going on. Like she was part of something bigger. So he have gone back there."
Tyson's patience frayed. "Have gone back to do what?"
"I don't know exactly. He wouldn't tell me everything. Just that it wasn't over. That the caves—there's something more there. Something we're not seeing."
There was silence in the room for a long moment. Then Tyson thundered, "Call that mongrel now. I want him on the line this instant."
Robert shook his head. "Can't. His phone's been unreachable since yesterday."
Judith's eyes flicked to Tyson. "He might be in trouble."
"Or making more of it," the Chief muttered.
Judith turned back to Robert. "And the phone call? The woman on the line with Brendon—we heard a recording. She knows him. Deeply. Says Mayor Guerio is involved. Said she's been watching him for a long time."
Robert's face darkened. "Yeah. That sounds like her."
"You know her?" Tyson asked coldly.
Robert swallowed. "Not by name. But yes. She visited me. Last night. Got into my room without setting off alarms. Could've killed me. But she didn't. She said the same thing—Guerio can't be trusted. That this mess ties into him somehow."
Tyson stared at him. "You're only telling us this now?"
"I didn't know if she was bluffing. Or manipulating me. And I was still processing the attack. She said the same words from the phone call. Told me to look into the caves again. Told me to not trust anyone who's smiling too much these days."
Judith sat down. Her face was drawn with realization. "Then she's real. She's the common thread. Brendon's contact. Your intruder. And likely the one behind the envoy's disappearance."
Tyson paced again, muttering under his breath. "We're surrounded by lies… and everyone's playing a different tune."
He turned abruptly toward Robert. "You're coming back to the office. You're on desk duty, but I want everything you and Brendon found. Every file. Every note. Every photograph. Bring Zoe in if you have to. We're not letting this woman run the narrative any longer."
Robert nodded, rising slowly. "I'll gather everything. But Chief…"
Tyson paused.
Robert continued, "Brendon didn't go rogue because he's reckless. He did it because he believed we wouldn't move fast enough. And maybe… just maybe… he's right. Something is happening on Lagooncrest. Something old. And something planned."
Judith looked up, her voice quieter but resolute. "Then we better find him before it finds us."
Tyson's expression remained grim. "Let's get back. We're officially at war with the unknown. And this time, we play their game."
And outside, the storm is about to break.