We should start with the kitchen, Angela said quietly, picking up a broom. Her hands still shook slightly as she gripped the handle. At least make it functional enough to have coffee. Marcus nodded, gathering garbage bags for the broken dishes and food containers scattered across the floor. Neither of them had slept after the raid.
Dark circles shadowed their eyes, but determination kept them moving. I saved what I could of your medals," Marcus said, gesturing to the carefully arranged military honors on the coffee table. He'd spent hours collecting every piece, treating each one with the reverence it deserved. "We'll need a new display case. " Angela paused her sweeping, staring at the bent and scratched metals. "They didn't have to destroy everything," she whispered.
"This was pure spite. " A soft knock at the door made them both tense. After last night, any unexpected visitor set their nerves on edge. Marcus moved protectively toward Angela as she peered through the cracked front window. Detective Rosa Delgado stood on their porch, constantly glancing over her shoulder. She wasn't in uniform, instead wearing civilian clothes and large sunglasses despite the early hour.
Let her in," Angela said, recognizing the detective from their previous encounters at the station. Marcus opened the door cautiously, positioning himself between the detective and his wife. "I'm sorry about your house," Delgato said immediately, stepping inside. "What they did was wrong. " "But I might have something that can help. " She pulled off her sunglasses, revealing eyes filled with barely contained anger. I've been watching Hol for months, waiting for the right moment.
Watching him do what? Marcus asked, still wary of any police officer. Elgato reached into her purse and withdrew a small hard drive. Everything. I've been copying body cam footage to private storage outside the department servers.
Footage that conveniently disappears from official records within hours of being uploaded. Angela moved closer, hope flickering across her exhausted face. What's on there? Hol giving direct orders to harass homeowners who won't sell. Illegal searches, false arrests.
Delgato's voice shook with controlled fury. He thinks he's untouchable because he deletes the evidence. But I've got it all, including last night's raid on your house from multiple officers cameras. Marcus took the hard drive carefully. Why are you showing us this now?
Because what they did to you crossed a line even for Hol, Delgado said, pacing the destroyed living room. Attacking a military family, destroying service medals. It's going to backfire on him spectacularly. She paused, picking up Angela's scratched, distinguished service medal. I joined the force to protect people, not terrorize them.
What Holt's doing isn't law enforcement. It's organized crime with a badge. Angela began connecting the pieces. The developers paying him to clear the neighborhood. Delgado nodded.
Exactly. There's footage of Hol meeting with the developer representatives behind the old warehouse on Pine Street. The audio is crystal clear, discussing payments, target properties, timeline for acquisition. Why didn't internal affairs act on this? Marcus demanded.
Because Hol has friends in internal affairs, Delgato said bitterly. They bury complaints, lose evidence, intimidate witnesses. The whole system is corrupted. That's why I started keeping my own copies. She gestured to the hard drive.