The verdict came down a week later. Guilty. On all counts for Vega: kidnapping, coercion, threatening a minor, and for his role in the events leading to Luna's death.
The Alcantaras were found guilty on charges of corruption, bribery, and obstruction of justice. The sentences were long.
The gavel fell with a final, echoing crack that reverberated through twenty-five years of silence. There were no cheers in the courtroom, only a collective, heavy exhalation. It was done.