It was the middle of the night, the air was cold and the moon was hidden behind the heavy clouds, giving the sleeping city some old thriller movie vibes. 

At that time, the city was quiet, I could only hear the echo of my boots on the asphalt. 

I walked in an empty alley with my hands in my pockets, to protect them from the cold. My hood hung above my head, even if no-one could see me, but it was a necessary precaution for my mission. 

For weeks, Matt and I were working on finding the evidence against Roth. We now knew he had a big role behind Jake's arrest, he had planned everything until he finally reached his goal. 

After the shock of discovering the lawyer made a deal with Jake, leaving him no choice but to plead guilty, I succeeded in focusing on bringing justice to Jake. Each time Matt managed to gather new evidence against Roth and his allies, I met with Chloe to bring her our findings. 

She had called me a couple of days after we met, with Lilly, at the coffee shop. At first, Alan wasn't totally convinced about our plan. According to him, it was too risky to confront those people. But we didn't give up, this was when Chloe and I started our little night meeting. From that moment, it took less than two weeks for Alan to finally join us in our battle. Thanks to our group work, the police chief and his young colleague started some arrests.

It was obviously low key criminals. But little by little those thugs led us to more evidence. Their confession helped Matt to know where to look and which files could be useful until we, after so many sleepless nights, were finally able to gather everything we needed for the Duskwood Police to have a warrant against Roth. 

And there I was, walking like a shadow in the darkest of Tarrendale's road. I couldn't help but think about Jake and how it felt like, to hide like this for years, only allowing himself to go out at night, avoiding everyone, making sure that no-one would notice him. He must have been so lonely. 

My heart sank. I remember how badly I wanted to help him, to make him feel less lonely, make him feel loved. But I only led him to a life in prison, taking his freedom out of reach. 

A sudden noise made me jump, waking me out of my thoughts. I narrowed my eyes trying to see what caused that sound. I saw a tall figure appearing at the opposite side of the alley. Quickly, I took a step on my right, leaning my back against the brick wall of a building. I held my breath and hoped the man didn't notice me, but he kept passing down the alley, getting closer and closer with every step. 

I bit my lips, I couldn't get caught now! Our last discovery was way too important to lose when we almost reached the finish line. I crouched, slowly, hiding myself behind a bin, and took an old piece of brick that had fallen from the wall, ready to attack the unknown man if needed. 

This is when the clouds decided to scatter, allowing the moonlight to lit the man's face. The corner of my lips twitched, and I sighed with relief. I knew who that man was, Alan. So the Duskwood Police Chief finally decided to show his face? 

Getting up, I stepped out of the shadows and stopped just in front of the policeman. I didn't know if he noticed me earlier or if I surprised him, his face remained stoic. We stared at each other a moment before I broke the silence, "Where is Chloe?" 

"She wasn't available," he said coldly, "why? You still don't trust me?" 

His question was quite relevant. Since he accompanied the FBI the day Jake was arrested I always held a grudge against him. I knew it wasn't Alan's fault, that he would have lost his job if he had stopped the FBI. But I needed someone to blame. And Alan was perfect for the role. The fact he first hesitated helping us made me even more angry at him. It was always Chloe who helped me, who risked her career! 

But now, now that we had the last evidence, the one that proved Jake was innocent, Alan decided to show up and reap the fruit of our efforts. 

I frowned, "Alan, I swear that if something goes wrong…" 

"I know my job, MC!" he started, obviously upset, "I'm on your side, I've always been on your side," the man passed his hand in his hair, "I had no choice back then. You've seen them. What-what was I supposed to do against them?"

"You could have investigated! You could have fought back!" I raised my voice. 

"But I am fighting now!" Alan's gaze was desperate. His eyes were begging me to believe him. "MC. I am on your side. And I will make sure this coward will rot behind bars for the rest of his life." 

I sighed heavily. I knew he was sincere and I also knew I had to let go of my pride if I wanted to achieve our mission. And I was guilty too. Every one of our acts led Jake to his fate. Jake's curiosity, Alan's pride and my selfishness. 

Reluctantly, I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out the flashdrive. I handed it to Alan but tightened my grip around it when he tried to take it. I glared at him one last time and then, decided it was worth the try and released the device into the policeman's hand. 

Alan nodded, and without a word we both turned around and disappeared at each side of the dark alley. 

—

I entered the empty motel with a sigh of relief. I could hear the sound of the water running, coming from the bathroom. 

I sat on the seat in front of Matt's laptop and stared at the screen without understanding a thing, where a myriad of numbers passed before my eyes.

I closed my eyes and rested my head on the seat, trying to relax after these stressful days. It was my last hope. If Alan and Chloe couldn't arrest Roth, Jake would be lost. And me too. 

"So how did it go?" I jumped and turned my head to see Matt. I hadn't noticed he had finished showering and he was now standing next to me, his eyes sparked with hope. 

"Hmm.. Not bad. Alan was here. According to him, Chloe was busy." I replied, trying not to show I was still upset. 

"Alan?" he frowned, "I guess this is a good thing," he mused. 

"A good thing?" my voice was angrier than I expected, "could you elaborate, please?" 

Matt smirked and took a pack of potato chips that rested on the desk, "He's the Duskwood police chief," he opened the bag, "if he involves himself we have more chance to succeed." He shoved some chips in his mouth and handed me the bag, "want some?" he asked with his mouthful. 

I rolled my eyes and got up, "No thanks, I'm going to sleep, I'm tired."

Matt shrugged and sat at his desk while I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. 

During the early hours of the morning I was woken up by Matt who softly shook my shoulder, "MC. MC! You need to see this?" 

"Hmmm" I growled and buried my face in the pillow. 

"MC!" he shook me more firmly, "they got him, Roth!" 

I sat straight up in the bed, fully awake. "They got Roth?!" I repeated. 

Matt pointed at the TV. The local news showed Roth, handcuffed, dragged in a police car by an angry Alan.

[The famous lawyer Mr Roth is charged with being the mastermind of a huge illegal traffic including weapons, human and drugs. He was the one who defended the hacker Jake Donfort who has been charged with a life sentence in prison two years ago for the same crimes. Our source affirmed this could be a setup…] 

I was kneeling on the edge of the bed, staring at the TV screen. I didn't hear what the journalist said next. My heart was pounding in my chest, echoing in my ears while my tears were streaming down my cheeks. 

"Fuck! We did it!" I heard Matt's voice reaching me as if he was far away. 

I turned to him, saw his big bright smile, and started to laugh uncontrollably, "Yes, we did it!" 

I jumped from the bed and took Matt in my arms, holding him tightly. We were smiling and giggling helplessly, swinging on our feet like two kids sharing good news. 

Euphoria spreaded through my veins and my face started to hurt from grinning too much. My muscles seemed to have forgotten how it was to express joy. 

I pulled away from my friend but didn't release my grip around his arms and neither did he. 

With hectic moves, I wiped the tears from my cheeks and sniffed loudly, "What will happen to Jake now?" 

Matt shook his head and his smile faded away, "I don't know. This isn't over yet. They won't release him that easily. I think it's the Courts of Appeal that'll make the decision."

"So he needs a new lawyer," I mused. 

"Exactly. Maybe we should start to look for…" Matt was interrupted by my phone that was frantically buzzing. 

I took the device from the nightstand, "Hey Lilly!" 

"MC!" the blond girl sobed at the other side of the line, "MC they arrested him. Jake he will… He'll…" Lilly was crying so much she couldn't talk anymore. 

"Breathe Lilly," I tried to soothe her, "I know, I've seen the news. It's good news," my voice was still shaking with emotion, "We need to find Jake a new lawyer now, who could help him clear his name."

"Yes, you-you're right," Jake's sister started to slowly calm down. There was a short silence while I waited for my friend to regain her composure, "Chloe just called me. Alan wants to meet you. You and Matt, I mean. At the police station. He-he wants to talk to you."

I took a look at Matt and saw him frowning, "Talk to us?" 

"Yes, about the case and about Roth's trial. I can come and pick you up this morning, if you want to."

"I don't think this is dangerous. And we need to figure out what to do next." Matt quickly whispered. 

I nodded, "Ok Lilly, we're waiting for you at the motel, see you soon!" I was about to hang up when my friend stopped me. 

"MC!" her voice was a little nervous, "Do you think I will have my brother back?" 

I could almost hear her biting her lips with anxiety. I didn't know if it was a good thing to give her hope, but for the first time in two years we finally had something to believe in, "Yes, you will."

_____

We arrived at Duskwood around 10am. Lilly drove us first to the motel, where she had booked two rooms for Matt and I, so we could put our bags in the rooms. And then we headed to the police station. 

The place was crowded. During the night every TV, social media and newspaper were only talking about this : the lawyer who incriminated his client for his own faults. 

Journalists were everywhere, carrying their cameras, handing their microphones and yelling their irrelevant questions to the poor policemen who tried to prevent them from running into the building. 

Obviously, there were also lots of curious people, from Duskwood and the cities around. They were standing on their tiptoes trying to look above the journalists' shoulders, and I could hear them gossiping. I rolled my eyes, most of them didn't even know what they were talking about! 

Lilly took her phone and texted Chloe to warn her we had arrived, while Matt and I elbowed the crowd to find our way near the police station entrance. 

"Matt! Matt!" We both turned around when we heard a woman's voice calling for him. A blond girl, maybe in her mid to late thirties, with a messy bun and tired eyes tried to reach us. 

"Mia!" Matt turned around and walked back to the woman. "What are you doing here?" 

"Is this you? Are you the one who helped the police arrest Roth?" she grabbed Matt's arms and suddenly lowered her voice, "Did you manage to find the server where Jake hid the evidence?" 

Jake? She knew Jake?! I frowned and started feeling uncomfortable. Who was this woman? 

Matt nodded, "Yeah… But I didn't do it alone. MC helped me," he waved his head to me while he spoke. 

"MC?!" Mia's eyes widened. 

Without warning the woman approached me and hugged me tight. I didn't know how to react so I stood for a few seconds with my arms along my body and then I hesitantly put my hands on her shoulders. 

Mia pulled away and looked at me, her eyes were shining, filled with tears. "I'm sure that now Roth has been arrested, Jake will be released from prison. I'll do my best to help, I don't want the same thing that happened to me happens to you,"

"What?" I stuttered, "What do you mean?" 

But before Mia could answer, Lilly called us and pushed Matt and I toward the side entrance of the police station. 

Chloe was waiting for us here, and let us get inside before somebody could notice us. 

While she led us along the corridors to Alan's office, I tugged Matt's sleeve to make him bend down a bit and whispered, "What was that? Who's Mia?" 

"Oh true! You don't know her!" he genuinely replied, "she's Peter's wife."

Peter? I knew this name. I didn't have the time to think more about it because Alan had already opened his office. 

We stepped inside, Lilly wanted to follow us but Chloe stopped her, grabbing her by the wrist. I saw her shaking her head and mouthing a silent "Sorry you can't" to her girlfriend. 

Once the door closed behind us, Alan gestured for Matt and I to take a seat. The sound of a coffee maker rose in the corner of the room and Alan opened a cupboard to take 3 mugs that he filled with dark coffee. 

Matt was unusually stressed. His jaw was clenched and he couldn't help shaking his leg nervously, hitting slightly the floor with his right heel, giving his leg some hectic and jerky moves. 

I wasn't better, though. I was biting the inside of my cheek so hard that the metallic taste of blood started to invade my mouth. I winced, and tried to distract myself by typing my fingers on the armrest of my seat. 

Alan sat behind his desk and put his head in his hands. He rubbed his eyes, trying to stay awake and focused, and sighed heavily, "So… The good news is we have enough evidence against Roth so the prosecutor wants a trial in brief delay," he stopped and looked at us, exhausted. 

"And what's the bad news?" I heard me asking without realizing I was talking. 

"Bad news is.. Roth is one of the best lawyers in this country. He knows everything about the law, he knows how to behave with us and then in court. We will need a strong plan. Jake will need a good lawyer to get him out of jail. Proving his innocence will prove Roth's guilt and the other way around."

"But we have evidence!" I raised my voice, "We could testify against him… I could do it! He trapped me when I went to see him. He hacked into my phone to pursue me, he.." 

"I know, I know MC." Alan gestured for me to calm me down, "but I can't let any of you testify. Not in court. I will take your testimony today but your names, or identity mustn't be released to the public. It's for your own safety. Roth still has allies on the loose."

Matt cleared his throat, "I think I know who could help us," he started hesitantly and both Alan and I stared at him with wide eyes. "Mia. She is… Was Peter's wife, you know?" Matt turned his head to look at me, "Peter was Jake's colleague, the one that was killed. Mia knows the whole story, she could testify as a witness against Roth but also in support of Jake."

I looked at him speechless, my mouth opened in a surprised expression. Everything made sense! This is why she knew Jake, why she knew what happened!

I alternated my gaze between Matt and Alan. The policeman frowned, judging if what Matt told him was worth it. 

"She's just here. We saw her outside. You could at least listen to her before making your decision," Matt insisted. 

More seconds passed while Alan stayed lost in his thoughts. Finally he took his phone and called an officer at the reception, "Could you ask Chloe to come back to my office? We're looking for a potential witness in Mr Roth's case." 

He hung up and turned to Matt, "Could you show Chloe who this Mia is please? In the meantime, I'll take MC's testimony." 

Matt agreed and stood up when we heard knocks on the door. Less than two minutes later I was alone with Alan ready to tell him  the whole story that would help clear Jake's name. 

_____

Five hours later Matt and I were back at the Duskwood motel. We had to wait a little longer before going back to Colville. Once Roth's trial would be over we could be free again. Until then it was safer for us to stay in Duskwood under the Duskwood police watch. 

I fell on my bed, exhausted, after this long night and day. I rolled on my back and looked at the ceiling figuring out what I had to do next. 

Fortunately, Mia managed to convince Alan during their meeting earlier. Now we needed to find a lawyer who would also listen to her and would agree to defend Jake. 

A buzz made me jump in my bed. I looked at my right and spotted my phone on the nightstand. I checked the number but didn't recognize it, "Hello?" I said hesitantly. 

"MC!" a woman's voice called me. I knew I already heard this voice but couldn't put a name on it. "It's Angela Hawkins. Jessy's sister! She called me earlier and told me you were looking for a lawyer for your boyfriend. I admit the case is really interesting. It could really boost my career. I could defend him, what do you think?" 

I sat straight up in the bed. I always found that Angela was pretty full of herself. But I knew she was a good lawyer and once she was invested in a case she never let go until she won. 

A smile crossed my face, "I think it's an excellent idea!" 

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