Chapter 5 - Unraveling the Network
Breathing heavily, Sadie leaned against the trunk of an oak tree deep within the woods. The sound of the school security sirens faded in the distance. She pulled Leah’s laptop from her backpack and sat on a flat rock.
She opened the screen. The battery was at 42%.
Connecting to her phone's personal hotspot, Sadie accessed Leah's cloud storage. She prompted the system to sync the latest files recorded prior to the incident.
A progress bar appeared: Downloading backup... 12%... 45%... 88%... Complete.
Sadie opened the audio folder. Dozens of files popped up, dated over the last three months. She clicked on the file labeled PrepRoom_Oct12.m4a.
Crowe’s distinct voice came crystal clear through the laptop speakers:
"You're falling behind on your payments, Leah. These pills aren't free. The raw materials cost money."
"Mr. Crowe, please," Leah’s voice was strained, breathless. "I can't sleep. My chest hurts every time I take them. I want to stop."
"You stop now, and you fail the midterms. You fail the midterms, and Yale throws your application in the trash. You take two pills before the exam tomorrow, or I make sure your academic record reflects your 'instability.' Do we understand each other?"
Sadie felt a tear slip down her cheek. It wasn't just illegal drug manufacturing; it was systematic blackmail and extortion targeting vulnerable, high-achieving teenagers.
Sadie quickly uploaded the audio file to a secure flash drive she carried in her pocket. But as she listened to the subsequent recordings, she realized something even more horrific.
Crowe wasn't working alone.
In an audio file recorded a week prior, another voice appeared in the prep room.
"We have a shipment due to the university campus on Friday, Martin," a slick, male voice said. "The local buyers are paying triple for this high-purity batch."
"I need more time, Vance," Crowe replied. "The school board is raising questions about the missing solvent inventory."
"Handle the school board, Martin. That's what I pay you for. And make sure that Monroe girl doesn't keep prying into the storage cabinets. If she becomes a problem, neutralize her."
Sadie’s blood ran cold.
Vance.
Detective Marcus Vance—the lead investigator on her case. The officer who had dismissed her claims, ignored her phone logs, and ensured the evidence pointed entirely toward her.
The police were not going to help her. The very man assigned to investigate the crime was the distributor running the operation alongside Crowe.
Sadie closed the laptop. The walls were closing in, but for the first time since her arrest, she didn't feel afraid. She felt a burning, precise fury.
If she went to the local police department, Vance would intercept the evidence and destroy it before it ever reached a judge. She needed someone higher up. She needed the State Police—and she needed to catch Crowe and Vance in the act of exchanging the next batch.
Sadie opened her phone and dialed a number she had memorized from the state police public registry: The Internal Affairs and Narcotics Division of the State Bureau of Investigation.
May you like
"State Police Investigations," a woman’s professional voice answered.
"My name is Sadie Monroe," she said, her voice rock steady. "I am currently wanted for a drug delivery charge at Oakridge High. I have digital evidence proving that Senior Detective Marcus Vance and Chemistry Teacher Martin Crowe are manufacturing and distributing illegal stimulants to minors. And I can tell you where they will be tomorrow night."
