Chapter 3 Terror Attack
Austin's POV
The witness left the interrogation room and I can sense the cold gaze Aaron was giving to me. I know seeing someone the same way as they saw me will result in some misunderstandings because it looked like I was caught red-handed. But still, I was framed! How can something like this happen to me? I tightly closed my fists, I should put my emotions first before thinking objectively. I should think of a way for me to be acquitted in this kind of unbelievable accusations.
"Trace the person who keeps sending me those messages." I ordered to Aaron.
"You know that's not easy."
"Come on, I did not kill that suspect! I am innocent." I plead with him.
"You can appeal when you were forwarded to the prosecutor." He said then left the room. I can't believe it, how can he be that cold to me.
"Sir." Jason called me as soon as he entered the room.
"How can you do that, sir." He said then sat in front of me.
"I was framed. I did not kill him." I answered him.
"I know." He answered.
"What?"
"I believe in you, sir." He said.
"I want you to do me a favor." I said to him.
"Anything sir."
"Trace the number and report to me your findings." I said and he just nods.
Jason's POV
I went to the storage room and look for sir's phone as it was confiscated when he was detained. When I saw it on the box, I grab it and hide it from other police who are going in and out of the room. I hurriedly went to the cyber team and let them analyze the messages and history in the cellphone.
"Sir, we tried tracing the phone but it constantly resulting to one place." The staff said.
"Where is that?" I asked.
"This place, sir. The police station." How could that be?
"Who's sending it?"
"Wait a minute, sir." He said then start typing on his keyboard.
"Sir, it says here that the owner of the phone is sending these messages to himself." The staff answered which makes it more complicated. How in the hell did it happen?
"Check if the phone was hacked or manipulated by other parties." I ordered again.
"No sir, the message was only sent through a single line and it was still this phone."
"Alright, for now, I got it." I said then left the department when I got back the phone. This is beyond impossible.
I was absent-mindedly walking through the hallway of the station when I realized that I am here at the detainment cells of the station. I saw Sir Austin sitting at the corner of the cell alone and seems like very frustrated in his situation. I need to help him.
I drove my car to the place where we've caught the suspect and where Sir Austin was witnessed 'killing' the suspect. I walk around the lake when I saw stones were tainted with the blood but already dried and cannot immediately be seen. I wear gloves in case I may contaminate the evidence then put it inside the zip lock bag for forensics. The stone was only meters away from the actual scene and looks like this is the only stone here that has blood on it. I also get some water samples from the lake, if my hunch is right, the actual scene is not the place where the suspect was attacked and in the case of blood it was flushed by the water in the lake. After some checking, I drove back to the station, I need to prove his innocence after all.
"Where were you?" Aaron asked.
"Sir, I went back to the crime scene and I gave some evidence samples to the forensic for them to analyze."
"What? Why did you not say anything?"
"Sorry sir, I just want to help." I answered.
"Okay, I got it. Call me if you heard from them." He said then left me.
After an hour...
Phone rings
"Is this detective Jason?"
"Yes, speaking. Do you have now the results?"
"Yes sir, I will send them by fax now."
"Okay, thank you." I said then ended the call. The fax machine releases some documents and after the beep I got all the papers being printed.
I look each detail about it and when I saw the result I hurriedly run to Aaron's desk.
"Aaron." I called.
"What do they say?" he asked and I just handed the documents.
"They saw another fingerprint and the stone I sent seems like the murder weapon used. The shape of the wound matches the edge of the stone as well the blood is the same as the suspect. We need to release him," I reported to him. I saw he was silent for some minutes and after that, he signaled me to release me.
When I got to Sir Austin's prison cell, I saw him lying on the floor facing his back on me.
"Sir, you're released." I said and he automatically looked back.
"What? What happened?" he asked then stood up.
"I saw another evidence to prove your innocence." I said then opened the door.
"I knew it! you're the best, brother." He said to me then hug me.
"They may saw us, Austin," I said then remove his arms.
"Come on, they all know that we are half-brothers. Don't be so shy." He is such a prankster.
"Don't be so lovey-dovey there." We looked at the person who talked to us and it's Aaron.
"See? I told you! I am innocent!" Austin shouted like he's blaming everything on him.
"Yeah, I got it. just don't be suspicious next time." Aaron said then left us.
"It's not my fault for being suspicious!" Austin shouted.
"Let's go sir." I said to him.
"Don't call me sir, I want to have a drink. Won't you buy me some tofu?" he said then put his arms on my shoulder.
Quianna's POV
"You don't have to go to the office today." Dylan said to me on the phone.
"Come on, I am absent for a week. They may forget me." I said jokingly.
"You've sent your father recently. They can understand it." he still insists.
"Come on, Sir Dylan. I need to work for my living." I said then enter the parking lot of the company.
"But, you should be resting." His voice is lowered down.
"I am here, you can't do anything." I said then ended the call.
I got my bag on the passenger seat and left upon putting an alarm on it. I rode the elevator up to the 10th floor where is my office and I suddenly got a message. Looking at the fact that it is an unregistered number, I guess it is the same as when dad died and the flowerpot incident. Not believing and expecting anything but I still opened the message and read it.
'There'll be a terror attack, Dylan will save you from a gun firing'
Do I need to believe in this nonsense? Why in the world would have a terror attack in the company? We are not in any political or diplomatic situations where our behaviors can offend someone.
I just disregarded the message and entered the office, it looks like an unfamiliar place as the place is somewhat busy and everyone is in a hurry.
"Quianna!" I heard the team leader yell.
"Yes, ma'am!" I answered back and she just stares at me.
"Do your work at your desk, I will call you if I only need your help." She said then left me hanging. I follow her with my eyes, and I saw how she scolded our team member.
"Stella! I said I need you in 5 minutes! Why are you still sitting here?" I heard the team leader shouted.
"Sorry, ma'am. I haven't finished the first task you ordered."
"What?! Don't you know how hectic and busy our team today? We got many complaints!" when I heard it I approached the team manager.
"Ma'am Scarlet, what do you mean complaints?" I asked then she looked at me again.
"Quianna, please go to your desk only." She said. She seemed so calm with me, why is that?
"Stella, what does she mean complaints?" I asked the member.
"These past few days, we got calls that our product has poisonous components in it." she answered.
"What? That can't be. We are complete with sanitary and health documents." I said then check her desktop.
"Yes, but haven't you seen the news?" she asked.
"What news?" then she showed me her phone.
The news reported that our lunchbox product introduced last month and was given through a charity program results in accidents having 10 casualties and 10 are still hospitalized.
"This is impossible." I said to her and contacted Dylan.
"Hello, Dylan. Where are you?" I asked him but his background seems like there are some ruckus or something.
"I am at the lobby." He answered.
"What is happening there?"
"People are having their protests about our product and I will talk to them." He said. That's when I remembered the message.
"Wait, Dylan! Hold up, I will go down there with you." I said.
"What? I can't hear you. I'll call you later." He said.
"Dylan? Dylan!" I shouted but he already ended the call.
"Stella, I need to go somewhere." I said to her.
I hurriedly run towards the elevator and I saw the signage 'under maintenance'. I just rode it a while ago, why it is suddenly under maintenance? I have no choice but to take the stairs. From the 10th floor, I run downstairs as fast as I could, when I got there, I saw many people holding their cardboards and even throwing eggs on the guards. I saw Dylan walking towards the door and the crowd.
"Dylan!" I yelled but he did not hear me. He has already gone out of the building and trying to calm the people down.
"People! We are innocent! Our product has no problems with it, you can check our documents in it." he explained.
"How could 10 people die in just one day if your product has no defect?!" some guy shouted.
"My son just turned 15 and he has undone dreams! You stripped his right to dream!" some woman shouted and it results in more ruckus.
"Please! Hear us out." Dylan said but I just grabbed his wrist towards me.
"Yana! What are you doing here?" he asked.
"You need to go inside!" I insist.
"But, I need to talk to them." He excuses.
"I just got a message, you'll be shot!" I said to him.
"Please, this is not the time to believe in those messages!" he yelled and walk towards the crowd. I just saw a man walking out from the crowd wearing all black and looking so suspicious. I stare at him and I saw him taking out a small gun, he pointed it out to Dylan who did not see him.
"Dylan!" I yelled and I just felt myself lying on the ground.