Chapter 64

Chapter 64
Ariel’s hands clenched into tight fists. Micheal rushed toward her, panting hard behind her.

“What happened?”

“He’s dead,” she said through gritted teeth.

“So are the others,” Micheal replied. “Immediately the lights came back on, they were all on the ground.”

Ariel’s brows furrowed.
She walked over herself to confirm it.

“How did it happen?”

“The guy in the sketch is the same one lying back there. He was the one I was after before the lights turned off,” Ariel said.

“Then if he’s dead… who killed these ones?” Micheal asked.

Ariel heard a faint sound. One of the men, slumped against the wall, was coughing harshly. She rushed to him— it was the muscular man.

“The guy… is a bastard,” he forced out, groaning as pain twisted through his stomach.

“Who?”

He inhaled sharply, trying to stay alive. “The fool we helped months ago… he needed a place to stay… and we helped him— and yet he pays us back with this.”

“Who is he?!” Ariel snapped.

He managed to open his eyes, barely.

Ariel’s chest tightened. His life was slipping, and this was her only chance.

“Say something,” she urged, shaking him, tears threatening to fall. “This is all I can do for her.” Her voice cracked. “She never deserved to die. Please… if you know anything, tell me.”

The man just stared at her, unable to speak. His eyes slowly closed.

“No, you can’t die.” She slapped his cheek lightly. “Say something!”

“Ariel, wait,” Micheal said quickly, pulling out the sketch.
“I just need you to nod. Is this the person?” He pointed to the picture.

The man’s eyes lingered on the sketch. Slowly, he shook his head… then went still.

“Then Mrs. Cole tricked us,” Micheal admitted, letting the sketch down, the bitter truth sinking in.

Ariel breathed in shakily and pushed her hair back.
“And the murderer has escaped. But I’m sure he’s still around here somewhere.”
She stood up weakly.

“I have to find him,” she muttered, dragging her feet.

“Ariel, you’re bleeding.” Micheal grabbed her hand.

She snatched it away and kept walking.

“Ariel,” Micheal called after her, but she didn’t stop.

“If Mrs. Cole’s sketch is this man,” she said, approaching the dead body on the other side, “then he was probably there and knew something.”
It felt like she wasn’t even the one talking—like her body was moving on its own.

Ariel fell to her knees, weak, and crawled forward, her eyes locked on the lifeless body.

“I just need to get an answer from him,” she cried.

“But he’s dead,” Micheal said softly.

“I just need to know where the actual killer is.” Her sobs deepened.

Micheal knelt beside her as she kept crawling slowly. He grabbed her and pulled her close.

“Breathe, Ariel. Breathe.”

She clutched his shirt, crying into his chest.

“I’m trying,” she whispered.

“It’s okay. I know you are. And I promise we will find him,” he assured.



Two hours later, they were out of the tunnel and back at the station. Ariel stayed silent through the entire ride, her head resting on Micheal’s shoulder.

The other officers reported they hadn’t seen anyone trying to leave town.

He had probably escaped through another route.

Ariel stepped out of the car the moment they arrived, her legs weak. Micheal followed closely behind, watching her carefully as she walked into the station without saying a word.

Inside, the atmosphere shifted. Officers moved about quietly, glancing at her with a mix of concern and respect. They all knew what had happened in that tunnel… and what it meant for her.

Ariel walked straight to the evidence board, her eyes red. The pictures were still there—the victims, the crime scenes, Freya. Freya’s picture made her chest tighten painfully.

She reached out and placed her fingers on the photo, her hand trembling.

Micheal stepped closer, standing beside her without touching her.

“Ariel,” he said softly.

She didn’t look at him. “He was right there, Micheal. I was close. So close.”
She swallowed hard. “And he still slipped away.”

“You were outnumbered and injured,” Micheal reminded, his voice gentle. “Anyone else would’ve been dead down there.”

“That doesn’t make this any easier,” she whispered.

Mrs. Jones came out of her office then, spotting Ariel instantly. Her expression softened, something rare for her. She approached slowly.

“Detective,” she said quietly. “Are you alright?”

Ariel blinked, pulling herself together. “I’m fine, ma’am.”

“No, you’re not,” Mrs. Jones said plainly. “But you’re here, and that’s what matters. Tell me everything that happened.”

Ariel explained it all— her encounter with the men, the lights going out, the deaths, the muscular man’s last words. Mrs. Jones listened intently, her eyes narrowing in thought.

When she finished, Mrs. Jones exhaled deeply.
“So this man they sheltered… he’s our killer.”

“And he’s still in this town,” Ariel added.

Micheal nodded beside her. “There are at least three possible escape routes underground. He knows them well.”

Mrs. Jones pinched the bridge of her nose. “He’s cornered but desperate. That makes him more dangerous.”

Ariel’s gaze darkened. “Then we need to move faster.”

Mrs. Jones looked at her for a long moment, reading the fire in her eyes— the same fire that had driven Ariel through every case she’d ever touched.

“You’re staying on the case,” Mrs. Jones said finally. “But you follow orders, and you don’t go anywhere without backup. Understand?”

Ariel’s chest lifted. “Yes, ma’am.”

Micheal let out a breath he’d been holding.

Mrs. Jones walked away, barking orders to prepare a full perimeter sweep of the tunnels.

Ariel watched her go.

Micheal turned to her. “You okay?”

Ariel didn’t answer at first. She stared at the board again, her voice low.

“He thinks he’s safe because he knows the dark.”
She looked at Micheal. “But I’m going to drag him out of it.”

Micheal’s eyes softened. “Then I’m with you.”

Ariel nodded once, breathing in deeply.

“Let’s find him.”

The station phones began ringing nonstop an hour later.

At first, the officers thought it was reporters or townspeople calling about the tunnel raid. But then Officer Leon picked up one of the lines and froze.

Ariel turned instantly at the shift in his expression.

“Detective…” he said, holding the phone out slightly. “You… you need to hear this.”

Ariel walked over, Micheal right behind her. She took the phone slowly.

“This is Detective Ariel,” she said.

Silence.

Just low, controlled breathing.

Ariel’s jaw tightened. “Who is this?”

The voice that finally answered was low, calm… chillingly unhurried.

“You looked beautiful in the dark.”

Ariel’s breath caught.

The voice chuckled softly. “You shouldn’t crawl on the ground like that, Detective. It doesn’t suit you.”

Micheal’s eyes hardened. He leaned closer, listening.

Ariel kept her tone steady. “If you wanted attention, congratulations. You have mine.”

“I already had it,” the voice said. “Since the night I watched cry over where she died, in that lonely alley. Remember?”

Ariel felt her hand tremble, her gaze hardened. She felt Micheal's warm hands on her and she steadied herself.

“What do you want?” she asked.