Maya Albert stood in front of Sarah Blake, her shoulders slightly hunched as she stared at the floor. The air in the room was thick with tension, Sarah's anger palpable as she stood across from her, eyes burning with a fury that only years of experience in law enforcement could produce.
"Maya Albert," Sarah's voice was controlled but every word came out like a lash, sharp and punishing. "Do you realize the gravity of what you've done? Do you understand the mess you've created these past few days? I've always let your previous mistakes slide, but this? This is a whole new level of recklessness!"
Sarah's eyes bore into Maya, trying to read the woman before her, the one who had been nothing short of a ticking time bomb ever since the investigation began. She took a step closer, her jaw clenched as she tried to contain her frustration. "You shot a suspect, Maya. Do you understand the laws of this department? The laws of the very justice system you're supposed to uphold?"
Maya stood there, head lowered, her face calm, eerily so. Her body was rigid, but there was an air of indifference surrounding her. She was unrepentant, as if her actions didn't matter.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," she said, her voice flat, devoid of any real emotion.
"But the situation was out of my control."
Sarah's frustration reached its peak. She stepped forward, her fists clenched at her sides.
"Don't apologize to ME. I don't need your empty words, Maya. I need an explanation!
Why did you do it? What was your reasoning?"
But Maya said nothing. She just stood there, her silence more damning than any confession could have been. It was clear she didn't see her actions as a mistake, and that was what stung the most. Sarah could sense Maya's peace with the chaos she had caused, and it unsettled her more than she could put into words. "You have no remorse," Sarah whispered more to herself than to Maya. "You don't even understand what you've done."
Maya's lips curled into a small, almost imperceptible smile, as if she was at peace with the storm she had set in motion. Sarah clenched her fists, her heart racing. "You have no idea the consequences, do you?"
"Nothing to say," Maya replied, her voice empty. "I'm willing to take whatever comes. It doesn't matter."
And then a loud crashing sound was heard… Sarah had slapped her with all her might, she just couldn't control it anymore…
"Get out of my sight!" she spat, the words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.
Maya turned without a word and walked out, the door slamming behind her.
Just as Sarah collapsed into her chair, exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster, a soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. An officer entered, holding a file. "Ma'am," the officer began, his voice tense, "Here's the list of all items confiscated from the company today. Also, we managed to get the CCTV footage from John Blake's cell this morning. I checked it, but there's nothing. No one entered his cell. He died... just as if he was sleeping."
Sarah's brows furrowed as she absorbed the words. "What do you mean, sleeping?" she asked, confusion clouding her mind.
The officer shifted uneasily, his eyes darting toward the ground. "It's strange, ma'am. He was fine, and then... Maya went in. She put the tray down, left, and he just... died in minutes."
"What did you say?" Sarah's voice raised in disbelief.
Died in minutes…?
No before that …
"Ah…Yes, ma'am, Ms. Maya entered the cell, placed the tray down, and left. No one went in after that. Then he passed away, as if nothing had happened. He didn't even touch the food"
"Who told her to go in?" Sarah stood up, her blood running cold. She felt a deep sense of dread settle over her. "Why would she be in there?"
The officer's hesitation was palpable. "I... I thought you gave the orders, ma'am."
Sarah's heart dropped. "What?" she asked, feeling the room close in on her.
And what about this list of item??? Who told you to confiscate them???
Ms. Maya…
MAYA?
Where are the items??? Sarah questioned
"Ms. Maya... she asked me to put the items on her table," the officer continued, clearly nervous. "She... she said you would want it."
Sarah's eyes widened, her chest tightening as the pieces started to fall into place. "Maya," she muttered under her breath, suddenly panicked. "Where are the items? Where are they?"
The officer looked down, his voice shaking. "Ms. Maya asked me to place them on her table." He seemed oblivious to the magnitude of the situation.
Without a word, Sarah ran out, her body filled with urgency. "Get out of here!" she snapped at the officer, who scrambled to leave. Sarah rushed to Maya's desk, her thoughts spinning. She could already feel a storm brewing.
She reached Maya's desk, her hands trembling as she saw Maya already going through the items, inspecting them. "What do you think you're doing?" Sarah demanded, her voice shaking with fury as she grabbed Maya's hand, halting her actions.
Maya looked up, unfazed, her expression cool, almost mocking. "Nothing, ma'am."
"Nothing?" Sarah spat, her grip tightening around Maya's wrist. "Who told you to do this? Who gave you the right to confiscate these items and then go through these files, these items?"
Maya tilted her head slightly, her eyes glinting with something Sarah couldn't quite place. "You would have wanted it," Maya said softly, almost smugly.
Sarah's eyes narrowed. "I would have wanted it?" she repeated, her voice cracking with disbelief. "For heaven's sake, Maya, stop making excuses. You're out of control."
Her anger boiled over as she turned, calling for guards. "Right this instant, arrest Maya Albert!"
"For what?" Maya asked, her voice full of derision. "What have I done?"
"I've had enough of you!" Sarah shouted, her voice a mix of anger and exhaustion. "Get her locked up immediately!"
Two sturdy guards stepped forward, their hands gripping Maya's arms. Maya, however, didn't fight back. Instead, she stood there, her expression now changing and color turning pale. "You don't understand," she said, her voice calm, almost serene. "You don't know what's really happening here."
Sarah, growing impatient, reached for Maya's chin, gripping it with a firmness that reflected her years of experience. Her voice was low, controlled, yet heavy with all the emotions she couldn't express.
"I didn't even believe my own husband. What makes you think I'll believe you?"
Maya tried to jerk away, but the guards held her firm. Before Sarah could say another word, the door to the office swung open with a force that made the room seem smaller. Max strode in, his eyes wide with shock as he saw what was happening. He stepped forward, motioning to Sarah with a swift gesture. "Detective, please. A moment," he said, his voice calm but urgent.
Sarah hesitated, looking between him and Maya. With a sigh, she motioned for him to follow her to the meeting room.
As they left, the guards, momentarily distracted by the change in attention, lost their grip on Maya. In a flash, she yanked herself free, sprinting toward the door.
"Stop her!" someone shouted from behind, but Maya was already gone, her phone ringing incessantly with an unknown number flashing on the screen.