Chapter 8 - The Hidden Truth
I stared at the purple plastic tag, finally recognizing the faint numerical code etched into the brass.
The key belonged to an old antique grandfather clock sitting inside a storage unit my grandmother rented years ago.
I told Reyes the location, and we immediately moved toward the downtown storage facility.
The rain had finally stopped, leaving the Portland streets slick and reflective under the streetlights.
We arrived at the storage unit and found the metal door completely untouched.
I slid the brass key into the heavy padlock, and it clicked open with satisfying ease.
Inside the dusty unit, the massive wooden grandfather clock stood like a silent sentinel.
I opened the glass panel and reached behind the swinging pendulum to find a hidden compartment.
My fingers brushed against a thick, leather-bound notebook filled with handwritten financial codes.
We had finally found the legendary ledger that could bring down the entire corrupt empire.
I turned around with a triumphant smile, ready to hand the notebook over to Reyes.
Instead, I found Reyes standing completely still with his hands raised in the air.
May you like
His commanding officer from the federal task force stood behind him, pressing a gun to the back of his head.
The director of the federal task force smiled and thanked me for doing all the hard work for him.
