“What's happening?”
“We found the connection.”
Ryan's voice trembled.
“Who?”
Daniel answered.
“Martin Hale.”
Ryan went quiet.
Then whispered:
“Oh God.”
“You know him?”
“Everyone knows him.”
Daniel waited.
Ryan continued.
“When I was a rookie, Hale trained half the department.”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“Anything else?”
Ryan swallowed.
“He always said something.”
“What?”
Ryan looked through the window at the black SUV.
“He said cops don't survive by following rules.”
Daniel asked:
“What do they survive by?”
Ryan answered quietly.
“By knowing who owns the rules.”
CHAPTER 4 — THE SECOND OFFICER
Daniel decided not to arrest Cole immediately.
That confused everyone.
Sarah questioned him.
“Why leave him?”
“Because frightened people talk.”
“And Cole?”
“He's terrified.”
Daniel had been right.
Two days later, Cole requested a deal.
He wanted immunity.
Daniel entered the interview room.
Cole looked exhausted.
“I'll tell you everything.”
Daniel sat down.
“Start with Hale.”
Cole shook his head.
“I never met him directly.”
“Then who did you meet?”
“Captain Thomas Grant.”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
Grant was still an active officer.
One of the highest-ranking people in the department.
Cole continued.
“Grant gave us instructions.”
“What instructions?”
“Which stops to make.”
“Which people to target.”
“And?”
Cole looked at the table.
“Who to leave alone.”
Daniel said nothing.
Cole whispered:
“Some people paid monthly.”
“How much?”
“Five hundred. Sometimes a thousand.”
“And where did the money go?”
Cole looked up.
“Grant.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“Are you sure?”
Cole nodded.
“He collected everything.”
Daniel closed his folder.
“Why?”
Cole hesitated.
“Because Hale owned him.”
The room became silent.
Daniel's expression changed.
“Explain.”
“Hale had information on Grant.”
“What information?”
“I don't know.”
Cole looked terrified.
“But whatever it was, Grant did whatever Hale asked.”
Daniel stood.
“Who else?”
Cole closed his eyes.
“Three more.”
“Names.”
Cole gave them.
Daniel wrote each one down.
Then Cole whispered:
“But that's not the worst part.”
Daniel stopped.
“What?”
“They knew about you.”
Daniel turned.
“What do you mean?”
“They knew you were coming.”
Daniel stared at him.
Cole's voice became barely audible.
“They knew about the undercover operation before you stopped me.”
Daniel slowly sat back down.
“Who told them?”
“I don't know.”
“Cole.”
“I swear.”
Daniel studied him.
Then he asked:
“Who knew you were stopping me?”
Cole thought.
“Grant.”
Daniel's face hardened.
“Anyone else?”
Cole shook his head.
That was enough.
There was a leak.
And it was close.
Very close.
That night, Daniel returned to his office.
Sarah was waiting.
“We have a problem.”
“What?”
She placed a photograph on his desk.
It showed Daniel standing beside his pickup truck.