BURIED

TEN

B E L L E

As we stood at the crime scene, the bag with the thorn seemed to mock me, staring me in the face. My jaw tightened, feeling my nails digging into my skin as I clenched my fists. Jenna, standing beside me, noticed the tension.

“There's no shame in losing him, Belle. No one's ever gotten this close to catching him in the years he has been active,” Jenna offered, trying to make me feel better.

Terrance, observing the situation, added, “You're lucky to be alive.”

My frustration grew; I didn't want reassurances, it only made me angrier.

"I should have known," I thought bitterly.

The Bane of the East. The most powerful weapon in the shadows. An untouchable weapon in the arsenal of every single criminal organization. Responsible for the bloodiest crimes Preyton has ever seen, a name even the government is afraid of. He leaves no trace, no evidence except for a rose or a thorn, and no one knows why. Some murders have red roses, others have thorns. He leaves one next to each of the corpses.

"He was called Bane of the East because he started his terror in the east of Preyton, Winter Wanderland, where he slaughtered with no mercy," I explained internally, recalling the details. The tall man with a large scar beneath his eyes; his eyes held no emotion when I looked into them. And I was almost his victim.

“You know, sometimes people claim to see him on rooftops at night,” Jenna said, interrupting my thoughts with a laugh. “I'm jealous.”

“No one has ever gotten close enough to him to even identify him, lieutenant. Be kind to yourself,” Harry chimed in, genuine concern in his voice.

Captain Omar approached, acknowledging the situation. “Lieutenant Gabin, thank you for the report. Detectives Terrance and Jenna, we will take it from here. You're all dismissed.”

“Yes, sir!” we responded in unison.

As we walked out of the mansion, Jenna began speaking once we were out of earshot. "The old man really won't change, always acting like a..."

"Jenna," Terrance warned.

"What?" she said, giving him a warning look not to start an argument. He seemed too tired to engage, much to my relief. "Finally... sleep!"

"Brown! Make sure she gets home safe," Jenna ordered, walking away.

Terrance, following Jenna's 'orders', escorted me to my apartment.

"Are you sure you're alright? You look distressed," he expressed concern.

I wasn't fine, and he knew it, but he didn't know how to comfort me.

"Belle," he began, avoiding eye contact. "I don't know what to do to help you get through this. Everything I try seems like I'm being inconsiderate, but I know you must be going through so much right now and you're being strong, but..."

I stopped walking, and he stopped too. "I get it, Terrance. And I promise when I need to talk, I'll talk."

He laughed softly, acknowledging his attempt. Terrance Brown had attended the same college as me, and we ended up working at the same unit. He was a genuinely nice guy and smart. I knew I could count on him; he was not just a rebound friend but more like a brother, always there when needed.

"I'll be fine here. You can go now," I assured him.

"Of course, I know you are, but won't you let me walk you home?"

"Quite a gentleman, are you," I teased. "Don't slow down, brother; my bed awaits."

"Who would've thought I'd be with the emo kid," he joked.

"Haha, very funny."

Terrance checked the time on his phone; he had to go see his father. Mr. Brown had been in a coma for the last two years, and nothing was improving. With Terrance's brother busy with his own life, Terrance had to take care of him, never complaining.

"How's your dad?" I asked, noting his troubled expression.

"The usual," he replied quietly, his voice betraying a sense of hopelessness.

Before I could respond, he stopped and said, "We're here, your majesty. Off you go."

"Are you sending me away?" I joked.

He smiled, putting his phone back in his pocket. "Yes! Your squad is running wild, officer. You need sleep."

"Of course, Hart is getting out of hand," I joked back.

Terrance's face twitched. "That woman drives me crazy; she argues every time I speak."

"Oh really? I was convinced you two were best friends."

"Oh please!"

Terrance left immediately, and I entered the building, bidding him goodbye.

"No one has seen him and lived," I thought to myself. Since leaving the hospital, I had tried not to dwell on everything that happened. But after meeting that man, there was nothing I could do to stop myself.

Stopping yourself from feeling sad or scared is a self-loathing act, my mother used to say. But after meeting him, I had made up my mind to do anything I could to find who was responsible, and I believed I could do it with his help.

"Meet me at the park tomorrow at midnight..."

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Chapter Ten!!! 👉🏽👈🏽

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