Page 55 of The Rookie's Second Chance

He nodded back and then disappeared into the shadows, leaving me standing there in the quiet night. I turned and headed back to my cruiser, my mind a mess of thoughts.

As I drove back, the darkness seemed to close in around me, everything I'd learned pressing down hard. Lexi had never mentioned a Jude, but then, there was a lot she hadn't said, a lot she'd kept hidden. And now, with her life potentially in danger, those secrets could be the key to everything.

The drive was long and silent, the hum of the cruiser's engine the only sound in the quiet night. I kept turning it over in my mind – Jude, Garrett, The Vault.

I pulled into the hospital parking lot, the fluorescent lights stark against the night. I needed to see Kayla, to tell her what I'd found out. But when I got to her room, she was sleeping, the rise and fall of her chest a steady rhythm that I watched for a long moment.

"Kayla," I whispered, even though she couldn't hear me. "I'm getting closer. I promise."

I didn't stay long, just long enough to reassure myself she was still fighting. Then I was back in the cruiser, the night stretching out before me, endless and dark. As I hit the road, the lines on the asphalt seemed to blur together, a monotonous rhythm that matched the turmoil in my head.

I had a name, a new lead, but it felt like a drop in the ocean. I needed more, and I needed it fast. As the miles ticked by, I made a silent vow – I'd find this Jude, and I'd find out the truth. For Lexi, for Kayla, for all of us.

The next day was a deep dive into Jude's world, one that felt like swimming through a swamp, murky and full of unseen dangers. His rap sheet was a laundry list of almosts—almost caught, almost convicted. Every damn arrest, from assault to breaking and entering, happened in Miami, a string of run-ins with the law that never stuck. He was slippery, like a damn eel, and I hated him without ever laying eyes on the guy.

First arrest, during his college days—I snapped to attention as I recognized the name of the booking officer. It was the same guy who'd been in charge of the investigation when Garrett disappeared and again when they found that body. "What the fuck..." I muttered, the pieces clicking into place like a loaded gun. A dirty cop—had to be.

I was neck-deep in arrest reports when my cell rang. Lexi's name flashed on the screen, and the knot in my gut pulled tighter.

"Jake?" Her voice was a blade of panic cutting through the line.

"Lexi, what's wrong? Did the stalker find the safe house?" I was already moving, grabbing my keys and my gun.

"No, I... I needed to come home for a bit, but he was here, Jake." Her voice broke, and I felt my control fraying at the edges. "He left me a note on the wall."

"Wait right there. Don't touch anything. I'm on my way." I was out the door before she could say another word.

The drive was a blur, every red light a curse, every slow driver an obstacle to barrel through. My sister's house loomed in the darkness, a beacon of dread as I slammed the cruiser to a stop and ran inside.

The sight that greeted me was a gut punch. "Welcome home" was scrawled across the wall in what looked like blood, a grotesque greeting. Beneath it lay one of the ranch's chickens, its neck twisted, dead eyes staring at nothing.

"Motherfucker," I spat, my hands clenching into fists. "Lexi, you upstairs?"

"Yeah," she called down, her voice shaky.

I took the stairs two at a time, finding her in her room, huddled on the bed, a fortress of pillows around her. "I'm so sorry, Lexi," I said, my voice rough around the edges. "This is all fucked up."

She looked up at me, her eyes wide and haunted. "I just wanted to get some of my things. I didn't think..."

I sat next to her, my arm around her shoulders. "You didn't do anything wrong. This asshole is playing games, but I swear, Lex, we're gonna catch him."

Her head dropped onto my shoulder, her body trembling. "I'm so scared, Jake."

I held her tighter. "I know, sis. But you're not alone. We're going to get through this."

The house felt tainted now, every shadow a hiding place, every noise a threat. I stood up, my resolve winding through me. "Stay here. I'm gonna call it in, get a unit over here to watch the place."

She nodded, and I stepped out of the room, my cell already pressed to my ear. The dispatcher's voice was a calm in the storm, and I rattled off the situation.

"Keep your doors locked, Lexi," I called to her. "I'll be right outside."

I waited on the porch, the night air cold. The cruiser's headlights cut through the darkness as it pulled up, and I briefed the officer, a solid guy named Martinez.

"We'll keep an eye on the place," he assured me.

"Thanks. I owe you one."

I watched them settle in before I got back into my cruiser. The dashboard's glow was a dim comfort as I started the engine and pulled away, my mind a whirlwind of fury and fear.

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