Reyes pinched the bridge of his nose damn it. Susan pressed on that's why we can't let this get buried if we take real action we don't just get Justice for. Raymond Carter we start fixing this mess before more people get hurt. Reyes was silent for a long moment before he let out a slow breath all right hail's done the room went still we're moving forward with termination and official charges. Reyes continued we're also suspending the rest of his unit while we conduct full reviews of their cases no more administrative leave no more wait and see we do this by the book.
Susan nodded but she wasn't done that's not enough. Reyes looked at her brow raised excuse me if we stop at hail we're just cutting off a limb while the disease is still spreading. Susan said firmly someone covered for him someone protected him for 10 years. She looked around the room you want to regain public trust start holding the people at the top accountable too a few of the investigators exchanged uneasy glances they all knew what she meant. Reyes hesitated but then.
He nodded fine you keep digging find out how deep this goes. Susan met his gaze I will the protest chance outside grew louder the department internal email system buzzed with official notices. Officer hail terminated officer Grant suspended pending review officer Daniels suspended officer Phillips under investigation the department wasn't just taking action against hail his entire unit was Under Fire. Inside the precinct officers whispered among themselves some shocked others Furious a few of hail's supporters grumbled about betray rail others those who had been forced to work alongside him silently packed up their desks knowing their time was coming too hail himself sat in a small windowless conference room his badge and gun already confiscated a representative from the police Union sat next to him stone-faced while across the table. Captain.
Reyes read the official charges aloud hail's face was unreadable but his hands were clenched into fists under the table this is a joke. He muttered you're making me a scapegoat. Reyes didn't Flinch no we're holding you accountable the door opened and two officers stepped inside. Officer hail you are officially under arrest hail's jaw tightened but he didn't resist as the Cuffs snapped around his wrists for the first time in his career he was on the other side of the law and this time no one was going to cover for him. Susan watched from her office window as hail was led let out the back entrance of the precinct his face was set his shoulders stiff but this time there were no cameras to spin the story in his favor a small satisfaction settled in her chest but she knew this was just the beginning.
She turned back to her desk flipping open a new file hail wasn't the last there were more and she was going to take down every last one of them the city felt different now for years the community had whispered about the things that happened in the shadows the sudden stops the unnecessary searches the way certain officers seemed Untouchable but now for the first time those Whispers had become shouts words spread fast. Officer hail and his entire Unit were gone not just suspended not reassigned gone their names stripped from the precinct roster their badges taken their faces on the news not as law enforcement but as criminals and the city celebrated at first it was small Gatherings neighbors stepping onto porches exchanging looks that said finally then it grew people poured into the streets not in Anger not in protest but in relief outside the precinct a crowd formed not with signs of frustration but with voices lifted in Victory you hear that an older man said standing with his arms crossed as. He looked up at the police station that's silence no more of them out here doing whatever they want a group of teenagers who had grown up knowing to avoid certain streets when hail was on duty stood with their heads High one of them a boy barely 16 wiped at his eyes before shaking his head I thought they were Untouchable they wanted us to think that his mother said resting a hand on his shoulder they wanted all of us to think that but now now they had proof that the badge wasn't a shield against consequences across town in the neighborhoods that had suffered the most under hail's watch music played from open Windows families gathered on sidewalks not just talking about what had happened but about what came next people who had once been too afraid to speak up shared their stories openly they weren't just angry anymore they weren't just mourning lost time lost years lost lives they were hopeful inside the police department it was a different story the officers who had once moved through the halls with certainty now walked in Silence the ones who had laughed at the complaints who had looked the other way who had told themselves they were just doing their jobs they didn't speak now they didn't make eye contact with each other because hail was gone and so were the people who had protected him the weight of it settled in a young officer fresh to the force passed by an older detective and muttered I never thought they'd actually the detective cut him off with a look neither did they it wasn't just hail's reputation that had crumbled it was the entire illusion that officers like him would always get away with it. Captain. Reyes watched it all unfold from his office window he could hear the voices outside the sound of a community that had won his gut Twisted not with anger not even with frustration with regret R he had known maybe not every detail maybe not every name but he had known enough and he hadn't stopped it.
Susan Calder stepped into the room behind him he didn't turn to look at her she didn't speak right away just let the weight of the silence settle before saying it didn't have to take this long Rees let out a slow breath I know. Susan moved beside him looking out at the celebration happening just beyond the glass they're not done. She said this is just the beginning. Reyes nodded slowly yeah. He looked down at the files still on his desk the case is being reopened the names that were still under investigation the people who had let this happen weren't done answering for it outside the celebration carried on but it wasn't just about what had been torn down it was about what came next.