Chapter 47 Chapter 47: Detective On Duty
Chapter 47 Chapter 47: Detective On Duty
Detective Harlan Pov
The morning air carried a sharp chill as I walked my daughter to school, her small hand warm in mine. Lily skipped beside me, her pink backpack bouncing with every step, the straps decorated with little cartoon stickers she’d picked out herself last weekend. I adjusted my grip, careful not to squeeze too tightly. These moments were everything now.
“Daddy, can we get ice cream after school today?” she asked, looking up at me with those big brown eyes that were so much like Sarah’s.
I forced a smile, the kind I’d gotten good at over the years. “We’ll see, kiddo. Depends on how much homework you have.”
She groaned dramatically but kept skipping, her sneakers scuffing against the cracked sidewalk. The neighborhood was waking up—cars rumbling past, neighbors calling out good mornings, the distant clang of a crossing guard’s bell. Normal sounds. Safe sounds. I kept my eyes moving anyway, scanning every alley, every parked car. Old habits.
We reached the school gate faster than I wanted. Lily stopped and turned to me, tilting her head. “You okay, Daddy? You look tired again.”
I crouched down so we were eye level, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m fine, sweetheart. Just work stuff. Go on, have a good day. I love you.”
“Love you more!” She threw her arms around my neck in a quick hug, then pulled back with a grin. “Bye!”
I watched her run through the gates, joining the stream of kids heading toward the building. She looked back once and waved before disappearing inside. My chest tightened the way it always did when she left my sight. I stayed there a moment longer, hands shoved in my coat pockets, breathing in the cool air.
My burner phone vibrated against my thigh. It has been with me everywhere I go; I don’t ever want to miss out on any information I will need from my informants.
I pulled it out fast, checking the screen. Unknown number. I answered on the second ring, keeping my voice low.
“Yeah?”
“It’s me,” he whispered, sounding nervous. “The guy at the estate.”
I stepped away from the gate, moving toward a quieter spot near the chain-link fence. “Talk fast.”
He rattled off the details without pausing. “Big weapons shipment in two days. Midnight. Old industrial docks, east side. Three trucks. Security—two escort vehicles, standard armed detail. That’s all I got.”
My pulse kicked up hard. A real break. Finally. I gripped the phone tighter, my knuckles turning white. “Good. That’s good. Anything else?”
“That’s it for now.”
I exhaled slowly, a sharp grin pulling at my mouth. “This could be it. Stay in place and keep your head down. I’ll be in touch.”
I ended the call and immediately dialed my captain. He picked up on the third ring, voice gruff from lack of sleep like always.
“Harlan. What do you have?”
“We got a solid tip on a Valerius weapons run,” I said, pacing along the fence. “Two days from now, midnight, east industrial docks. Three trucks, light escort. This is big, Captain. I want in on it personally.”
There was a pause on the other end. “You sure about the source?”
“Reliable enough. I’m not letting this one slip. I’ll coordinate the team but I’m leading the field op.”
“Harlan…” He sighed. “Fine. But don’t go cowboy on me. Keep it clean.”
“Understood.” I hung up before he could add anything else.
The excitement was still buzzing under my skin as I walked back toward my car. This wasn’t just another lead. This was the opening I’d been waiting for. My hand shook slightly as I pulled the car door open and slid inside. The interior smelled like old coffee and leather. I sat there for a moment, staring at the school building through the windshield, watching kids play on the playground in the distance.
Sarah’s face flashed in my mind.
It always did at times like this.
I closed my eyes and let the memory come. The warehouse district six years ago. Rain pounding on metal roofs. Shouts. Gunfire cracking through the night. Sarah had been there volunteering with a community outreach group—wrong place, wrong time. One of Marcus Valerius Kane’s operations had gone hot. She tried to shield a kid caught in the crossfire. A stray bullet tore through her chest. Collateral damage, they called it. Just another statistic in the Valerius Empire’s bloody ledger.
My hands clenched around the steering wheel until the leather creaked. Lily was only three at the time. I’d held Sarah as she bled out on the dirty concrete, her blood soaking my shirt, her eyes wide with terror, and then nothing. The Valerius machine kept rolling like we were nothing. Like lives didn’t matter.
I opened my eyes and started the engine. The hatred sat heavy in my gut, familiar and sharp. Marcus thought he was untouchable. He had no idea how far I was willing to go.
I dialed another number—my guy working the Rolex angle. He answered quickly.
“Ruiz. It’s Harlan.”
“What’s up?”
“We just got a major lead on Valerius. Weapons shipment in two days. I need you ready. Drop everything else. This is our shot.”
Ruiz let out a low whistle. “The Rolex guy still connected?”
“Yeah. The lady, it's just a matter of time, we are on it. Keep pushing that thread, too. We hit them from every side now.”
“Copy that. I’ll have the team prepped. You sound… different. You good?”
“I’m better than good,” I said, my voice hard. “It’s time. We’re taking the whole damn empire down.”
I ended the call and leaned back in the seat. The car idled quietly. My eyes drifted to the glove compartment. I reached over, popped it open, and pulled out the small framed photo I kept there—Sarah smiling at the camera, Lily as a baby in her arms. The edges were worn from how many times I’d touched it.
I ran my thumb over the glass.
“This one’s for you, dear,” I whispered.
Determination settled over me like armor. I slipped the photo back inside, put the car in drive, and pulled away from the curb.