Chapter 10: Jake's Secret

POV: Sheriff Jake Morrison

Maya's fist met with my jaw before I could duck.

"You lying piece of garbage!" she screamed, swinging at me again. "How could you work for that monster?"

I caught her wrist before she could hit me a second time. We were standing in my cabin now, and Maya looked ready to tear me apart with her bare hands.

"Maya, stop! You don't understand!"

"I understand perfectly!" She tried to pull away from me. "You've been giving information to Eleanor this whole time! You probably told her where to find Riley!"

"No!" I shouted, louder than I meant to. "Maya, I'm not working for Eleanor. I'm working against her!"

She stopped struggling and looked at me like I'd lost my mind.

"What are you talking about?"

I let go of her wrist and walked to my kitchen table. My hands were shaking as I pulled out a thick folder hiding underneath.

"I've been investigating Eleanor for two years," I said. "I've been collecting evidence, building a case, waiting for the right moment to bring her down."

Maya's eyes were full of doubt. "If that's true, then why didn't you tell me?"

I opened the folder and spread pictures across the table. Pictures of boats coming at night. Pictures of money changing hands. Pictures of people being put into trucks.

"Because everyone I trust ends up dead or missing," I said quietly.

Maya stepped closer to look at the pictures. I watched her face change as she realized what she was seeing.

"Jake, these pictures... how did you get them?"

"I've been watching Eleanor's surgery for two years. Taking pictures, recording talks, documenting everything." I pulled out a small recording device. "I even have her talking about killing people who ask too many questions."

"But why?" Maya asked. "Why go through all this trouble? Why not just call the FBI?"

I sat down heavily in my chair. This was the part I didn't want to tell her. The part that kept me awake at night.

"Because Eleanor killed my brother."

Maya's mouth fell open. "Your brother?"

"Danny Morrison. He was twenty-two years old, fresh out of college, working as a marine scientist. Five years ago, he started asking questions about why so many fish were dying near the docks."

I pulled out a picture of Danny from my wallet. He had the same brown hair as me, but he was always smiling. Always believing the best about people. " Danny thought pollution from the fishing boats was killing the fish. He took water samples, studied the trends, wrote reports. But what he really found was proof of Eleanor's trafficking operation."

Maya sat down across from me. "What happened to him?"

"One night, Danny called me. He was excited, said he'd found something big. He wanted to meet me at the pier to show me what he'd found. " I had to stop for a moment because my throat was getting tight. "I was working late, finishing paperwork. I told him I'd meet him in an hour."

"Jake..."

"When I got to the pier, Danny was gone. His car was still there, but he was nowhere to be found. The next morning, they found his body washed up on the beach."

Maya reached across the table and touched my hand. "I'm so sorry."

"The official report said he slipped and fell into the water. Accidental death. But I knew Danny. He grew up on these docks. He could swim better than anyone."

I pulled out another folder, this one called "Danny Morrison - Personal Investigation."

"I've spent five years trying to prove Eleanor killed my brother. Five years collecting evidence, claiming to be her loyal sheriff, waiting for someone to help me bring her down."

"That's why you seemed nervous when I started asking questions," Maya said.

"I was terrified," I admitted. "I thought Eleanor would kill you just like she killed Danny. But then I realized you might be exactly what I needed - someone from outside, someone she couldn't control."

Maya looked at all the proof spread across my table. "Jake, this is great. We have enough here to put Eleanor away forever."

"That's what I thought too. Until yesterday."

I pulled out one final paper - a letter with official FBI letterhead.

"I sent some of this proof to the FBI three months ago. Yesterday, I got this answer."

Maya read the letter, and her face went white.

"They're not going to investigate?"

"Agent Sarah Chen - your sister - was the FBI agent assigned to my case. When she died in that car crash, the case died with her. The new agent says there's not enough proof to move forward."

Maya stared at the letter. "My sister was investigating Eleanor?"

"She was investigating the crime ring. She'd been working on it for six months before she died." I pulled out a picture of Sarah and Maya together. "She talked about you all the time. Said her sister was the best detective she'd ever known."

Tears started running down Maya's face. "Eleanor killed Sarah because she was getting too close to the truth."

"And now Eleanor wants to kill you for the same reason."

Maya wiped her eyes and looked at me with purpose. "Then we stop her tonight. We save Riley and end this."

"Maya, it's not that simple. Eleanor has the whole town under her thumb. The judge, the mayor, half the police force. Even if we rescue Riley, where do we go? Who do we trust?"

"We trust each other," Maya said strongly. "And we trust the evidence."

I looked at this brave woman who'd risked everything for a niece she barely knew. In three days, she'd done what I couldn't do in five years - she'd caused Eleanor to make mistakes.

"Okay," I said. "But we do this smart. We get Riley first, then we get Eleanor."

Maya nodded. "What's the plan?"

I was about to answer when we heard the sound of car engines outside. Multiple cars, going fast.

We both ran to the window and looked out. Five black SUVs were circling my cabin. Men with guns were getting out of each car.

"How did they find us?" Maya whispered.

I looked at the proof spread across my kitchen table, then at the woman I'd fallen in love with, then at the armed men outside my door.

"Maya," I said quietly, "I think we've been set up."

The front door burst inward, and Eleanor Blackwood walked in surrounded by six armed men.

"Hello, Jake," she said with a cold smile. "Thank you for bringing Maya to me. This is much easier than chasing her all over town."

I reached for my gun, but stopped when I saw who was standing behind Eleanor.

Dr. Sam Martinez stepped into my cabin, but he wasn't the friendly doctor who'd been helping Maya. His face was hard and cold.

"Sorry, Maya," Sam said. "But some secrets are worth more than friendship."

Eleanor laughed. "Did you really think I didn't know about your little study, Jake? I've known for two years. Sam has been reporting everything you do."

I felt like someone had hit me in the stomach. Sam had been my friend. I'd trusted him with everything. "The question is," Eleanor continued, pointing a gun at Maya, "which one of you wants to tell me where Tommy's camera is hidden?"