They buried my inspection reports, called me unstable when I wouldn't back down. Isaiah's hands clenched. Then they made sure I lost everything. My job, my reputation, my home. Even my family thought I'd lost my mind.
And now they're trying the same playbook again," Price observed quietly. "That's why I had to leave. " "Maya, Evelyn, they don't deserve to have their lives destroyed because of me. " Price was silent for a long moment, watching the sun climb higher over the ruins. You know what I see when I look at this building, Isaiah? Isaiah turned to him finally, questioning. I see proof.
Proof that you were right. Proof that your voice mattered, even if they tried to silence it. Those inspection reports you filed, they're still in the court records. I pulled them last night. The truth was there all along, waiting for someone to look.
What good is truth if they can just bury it again? Isaiah's voice was bitter. The truth doesn't stay buried forever, Price said. But it needs witnesses who refuse to look away, who stand their ground not because they expect justice, but because their dignity demands nothing less. A pigeon landed nearby, pecking at loose gravel.
Isaiah watched it, his expression softening slightly. I'm tired of fighting battles I can't win. Then stop fighting to win, Price suggested. Fight to witness, to testify, to stand in your truth, regardless of what they do with it, like you did that day on the sidewalk. Price nodded.
I didn't step in because I thought I could change Officer Ror's mind. I stepped in because staying silent wasn't an option. Some moments demand we speak, even if no one listens. Isaiah stood, walking closer to the fence, his fingers curled around the metal links. When I was inspecting buildings, I used to tell myself that even if I could only save one person, it would be worth it.
Somewhere along the way, I lost that. It's not too late to find it again. Price said, "Maya's already gathering evidence of witness tampering. Evelyn's ready to testify about the search of her home. The system's pushing back hard because they're scared.
Of what? One homeless man. Of the truth you carry. Of what happens when people start asking why a respected city inspector ended up on the streets of the paper trail that leads from this building to the present day. Price stood joining Isaiah at the fence.
They're not just trying to discredit you now. They're trying to bury their own past. The morning had grown warmer. Traffic sounds drifted from nearby streets as the city fully awakened. Isaiah's shoulders straightened almost imperceptibly.
Maya and Evelyn, he said softly. Are they okay? Worried about you, but stronger than you give them credit for? Price pulled out his phone. They're nearby.