Читать книгу Mind Manipulators - - Страница 4

Back at the station, Ethan worked tirelessly to decrypt the contents of the laptop. Hours passed as lines of code scrolled across the screen, each revelation more shocking than the last. Crescent Bay wasn’t just any quiet town – it was the epicenter of a massive conspiracy involving corrupt politicians, illegal arms deals, and human trafficking.

But what role did Sarah play in all of this? Was she merely a victim, or had she stumbled onto something far more dangerous?

Ethan decided to pay a visit to Sarah’s editor, Mark Thompson, hoping to learn more about her final investigation. Mark operated out of a cramped office cluttered with stacks of papers, coffee cups, and old typewriters. He greeted Ethan with a mixture of relief and apprehension.

«Sarah was chasing a story bigger than anything I’ve seen in my career,» Mark began hesitantly, glancing nervously at the door before continuing. «She started looking into Victor Kane’s operations months ago. At first, it seemed routine – just another wealthy businessman skirting the law. But then she uncovered connections… deeper ones. Connections to The Syndicate.»

Ethan leaned forward, his interest piqued. «The Syndicate? What do you know about them?»

Mark hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. «Not much. Just rumors. They’re supposed to control everything – politics, business, even parts of law enforcement. If Sarah got close enough to expose them, she might’ve signed her own death warrant.»

A chill ran down Ethan’s spine. If Mark’s claims were true, then Kane was only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath him lay a network so vast and powerful that exposing it could put everyone involved in mortal danger.

«Do you have any leads?» Ethan pressed, trying to mask his growing unease.

Mark handed him a folder filled with notes and clippings. «This is all I have. She was careful, always working from multiple sources. But there’s one name that kept popping up: Atlas. Whoever Atlas is, they seem central to whatever Sarah was investigating.»

Ethan studied the documents, his mind racing. Each fragment of information added another layer to the mystery. Who – or what – was Atlas? And why did Kane report directly to them?

As night fell, Ethan returned to the station, where Claire awaited his findings. Together, they pieced together fragments of Sarah’s work, uncovering connections between key figures in the town’s history. One name kept appearing: Victor Kane, a wealthy businessman with ties to both politics and organized crime.

«Kane’s got skeletons in his closet,» Claire mused, poring over documents. «And if Sarah got close enough to expose them, she might’ve paid the ultimate price.»

Ethan nodded grimly. «We need to find out what Kane knows – and fast.»