Chapter 5 - The Price of Truth
By the time Sarah, Marcus, and a sleeping Leo arrived back at Shadow Kennels, the storm had passed, leaving a thick, eerie fog rolling over the swampy ground.
"Stay in the car with the boy, Sarah," Marcus ordered, his voice low. "If things go sideways, you drive to the county sheriff's office. Don't look back."
"No, Marcus. I'm coming with you," Sarah said, her voice firm. "I know the layout of the back entrance. Maria showed me."
Marcus looked at her, seeing the fierce determination of a mother. He nodded slowly. "Fine. But you stay behind me."
They slipped through the cut chain-link fence at the perimeter. The facility was quiet, too quiet. The emergency lights were still red, casting long, bloody shadows across the wet concrete.
As they reached the rear door of the office, Sarah saw a light shining through the window. Inside, Silas was bandaging his arm, while Thomas was packing files into a cardboard box.
"We need to burn the records, Silas," Thomas was saying, his voice tense. "If the kid's mother goes to the press, they'll audit the shelter. They'll find the offshore accounts."
"I know, I know," Silas snapped. "The dog is secured in the back van. We'll take him to the old quarry and finish it there. No paper trail."
Sarah felt a surge of horror. They already have Rex in the van.
She reached into her purse, pulling out her phone. She set it to record, pressing it against the glass.
"...the breeding facility in Georgia is ready for the new batch," Thomas continued, holding up a ledger. "Once we clean this place out, we start fresh under a new name."
"Got it," Sarah whispered, her thumb hitting the save button.
But as she stepped back, her boot caught a metal trash can, sending it clattering across the concrete porch.
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The office door flew open.
"Who's there?!" Thomas yelled, his hand instantly flying to his holster.
