Daniel’s fingers trembled as he opened the bag, pulling out the stack of files he had risked everything to retrieve. Papers spilled onto the seat, between them photographs, medical records, and confidential memos stamped with Corvin Medical’s logo were splattered. Each document was a nail in the coffin of Reddick’s Empire.

Sara glanced at the files through the rear-view mirror, her expression tightening. “You weren’t kidding,” she muttered, reaching over to grab a document. Her sharp eyes scanned and skimmed the text like a true professional she is and the faintest flicker of horror crossed her face. “God, Daniel... This isn’t just illegal. This is monstrous.”

Daniel leaned back in the seat, running a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. “They’ve been covering it up for years. Targeting the most vulnerable, erasing them like they never existed. And Reddick? He’s at the center of all of it. These trials…these experiments–” He broke off, his voice cracking. “It’s worse than anything I imagined.”

Sara tossed the file onto the dashboard, gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles turned white. “We need to get this to someone who can act on it. A judge, the press..someone with reach and of course someone that isn't corrupt enough to be their lapdog. If we don’t move fast, Corvin will bury this like they’ve buried everything else.”

Daniel stared out the window, the night rushing past in a blur of shadow and streetlights. He thought of the spirits who had led him to this moment.. Maria, and even his daughter, Emily. Their voices still echoed in his mind, urging him forward. Daniel recollected his thoughts and calmly considered one obvious thing that could occur. “They’ll come after us..” he said quietly. “Reddick won’t just sit back and watch his empire crumble.”

Sara nodded grimly. “They will. But they’ll have to find us first.”

Sara pulled the car into the parking lot of a run-down motel on the edge of the city. The neon sign buzzed faintly, casting an eerie red glow across the cracked asphalt. She killed the engine and turned to Daniel. “We can’t risk going back to my place or yours. Too obvious. We’ll lay low here for a few hours, figure out our next move.”

Daniel hesitated with doubts piling up, his hand tightening around the bag. “You really think a place like this will keep us off their radar?”

Sara gave him a tired smirk. “For now, it’s better than nothing. Besides, these kinds of places don’t ask questions. Perfect for our current situation. Don't you think so?”

They stepped out of the car, the night air cold against their skin. Sara led the way to the front office, where a disinterested clerk handed over a key without so much as a glance at their IDs. Within minutes, they were inside a dingy room with peeling wallpaper and a faint smell of mildew.

Daniel dropped onto the edge of the bed, his body finally catching up with the adrenaline crash. He rested his head in his hands, the weight of everything pressing down on him. “This isn’t going to stop, is it?” he murmured. “Even if we expose them, there’s no guarantee they’ll face justice. People like Reddick... They will always find a way out.”

Sara sat across from him, pulling a laptop from her bag. “Not this time. You’ve got solid evidence, Daniel. Not hearsay, not speculation, proof. We just need to make sure it gets to the right people before Corvin gets to us.”

She powered on the laptop, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she started scanning the files. Daniel watched her in silence, his thoughts drifting back to Emily. Her voice had saved him tonight...warned him, guided him. But why? Daniel had a curious thought. Do spirits have no restrictions and can they freely roam anywhere? The common fact Daniel is used to knowing is that spirits are tied to the places that they have the most intense emotions at, but he finally recognized that Robert, Maria and Peter are also someone that's totally strangers to him yet they appeared at his apartment.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

As if sensing his turmoil, Sara glanced up. “You okay?”

Daniel blinked, snapping back to the present. “Yeah. Just... processing.”

Sara studied him for a moment, then nodded. “We’ll get through this,” she said, her voice softer. “You’re not alone in this fight.”

He wanted to believe her. But deep down, he knew the battle ahead would only get harder.

The room was silent except for the hum of the laptop and the occasional rustle of paper as Sara sorted through the evidence. Daniel had dozed off in the chair, his exhaustion finally overtaking him. But his sleep was far from peaceful.

Images of Hollow Creek flashed through his mind. Dark corridors, the faces of the spirits who had begged for justice, and the sinister grin of Thomas Reddick. Then came the fire. Flames consumed everything, and at the center of it all was Emily, her voice calling out to him.

“Dad, you have to wake up.”

Daniel’s eyes snapped open. For a moment, he wasn’t sure if the voice had been part of his dream or something more. He sat up, his heart pounding. The room was dark, the only light coming from the laptop’s screen.

Sara was still awake, her eyes glued to the files. “Bad dream?” she asked without looking up.

Daniel nodded, wiping a hand across his face. “Something like that.”

Before either of them could say more, a faint sound caught Daniel’s attention. It was distant at first, almost imperceptible. But as the seconds passed, it grew louder..footsteps, approaching the door.

Daniel shot to his feet, his instincts screaming at him. “Sara—”

She was already moving, grabbing her gun from her bag and motioning for him to stay quiet. The footsteps stopped just outside the door, and for a moment, everything was still.

Then came the knock. Three sharp raps that sent a chill down Daniel’s spine.

Sara raised the gun, her expression steely. “Who is it?” she called out.

No response.

She moved closer to the door, gesturing for Daniel to stay back. The knock came again, louder this time. And then a voice.. low, calm, and chillingly familiar.

“Daniel Cross. We need to talk.”

Daniel’s blood ran cold. He didn’t recognize the voice, but the way it said his name sent a shiver down his spine. Whoever was on the other side of that door wasn’t here to talk. They were here for the files, the evidence, everything Daniel gambled his life for.

Sara glanced back at him, her expression hardening. “We’re out of time,” she whispered. “Grab the files and get ready to run.”

Before Daniel could respond, the door shook violently as the intruders began trying to break it down.

Daniel grabbed the bags, shoving Sara’s laptop into whatever bag Sara brought it with, his adrenaline spiking as Sara swung open the window. “Out, now!” she ordered, covering him as the door splintered behind them. Voices shouted, flashlights cutting through the darkness as Daniel climbed out onto the fire escape.

Sara followed, firing a warning shot toward the door before slamming the window shut. They scrambled down the metal stairs, their pursuers hot on their heels. The night swallowed them, and once again, Daniel found himself running for his life.

But this time, he wasn’t running empty-handed. He had the truth. Finally somewhere that he stands on equal foot with the opponents he has to take down.

(To be Continued)