Chapter 6: B: Flee Brownstone

👉 [Previous Decision]: You chose Option B – Run out of the building immediately with the letter.

The letter felt like a live thing in my pocket, burning against my skin. I had it. The actual evidence. I just needed to get it out of this building, out of the Pendelton sphere of influence.

I rushed back to my studio, grabbed my phone, and then bolted for the back alley exit. It was the quickest way out, a narrow passage between the brownstone and the adjacent building, opening onto a side street.

My feet pounded on the old cobblestones. The alley felt tighter than usual, the brick walls closing in. I could almost feel eyes on me.

As I neared the end of the alley, a dark blue vehicle pulled sharply into the street, blocking my exit. The unmistakable emblem of the Albany Sheriff’s Department gleamed on its side.

Sheriff Thaddeus Pendelton emerged from the driver’s seat, a grim smile on his face. Another officer stepped out from the passenger side. They advanced towards me, their boots crunching on the gravel.

“Leaving so soon, Mr. Kross?” Thaddeus asked, his voice low and mocking. “We heard you had something… interesting in your possession.”

My heart sank. They knew. How could they know?

“Hands where I can see them,” the other officer commanded, his hand resting on his holstered weapon.

I slowly raised my hands. Thaddeus stepped forward, his eyes fixed on my coat pocket. His movements were swift, practiced. He reached in, his fingers closing around the crackling paper.

He pulled out the letter, unfolding the brittle parchment with a triumphant smirk. He barely glanced at the contents before folding it again.

“Such valuable historical documents,” he drawled, tucking it into his own uniform pocket. “Needs to be secured properly. Away from unauthorized personnel.”

I stood there, defeated. The letter, my one real piece of leverage, was gone, back in Pendelton hands.