Arcane Sequence: 1994: Never Stop Running... (WLW)

Chapter Eight: Fourth Precinct Police Headquarters, June 22nd, 1994

"Effective immediately you are on paid leave, detectives Marino, Baker and Perez. Please hand over your badges and, if county issued, your guns." Captain Brenor declared as Berry, Saul and Ethan stood in front of his desk. Berry glanced to her left and met Saul's quizzical gaze, then nodded. Both he and Ethan took off their badges and Berry followed suit, but didn't give over her weapon. She needn't, considering it was the side arm her father gifted her when she graduated the police academy. The Captain kept his eyes with hers as he eventually added, "Just what the hell were you three thinking? Or were you at all?"

"I was thinking of the men and women you've already lost from this unit, sir." Berry replied with a stiff jaw.

The captain rose to his feet and walked around the side of his desk, shaking his finger as he fussed, "If you had kept your head down, the DEA would have been given the proper information so that--"

"They were. We were working off of copies I had the rookie make in secrecy." As she interrupted with this new revelation, Brenor sharply turned his head toward Ethan, but she hurriedly distracted him from the kid. "He only did it on my order. If you want to hold it against someone's career, let it be mine."

"What gives you the impression I wasn't already." The captain put a hand on his hip and rubbed his forehead with evident exasperation. "Berry, if you had kept to regulations, I wouldn't be doing this." He dropped his hand and glanced around at each of their faces. "Same goes for you boys. But you leave me with no choice. You will all be under house arrest again and this time it is indefinite. Don't even think about arguing with me, do you all understand?"

All three of them nodded, but Berry stepped forward and glared into his eyes. "And what of the obvious leak you have in your department?"

"Pardon me?"

"You have a mole in your department, captain, and they are the one responsible for all these deaths. How else do you explain someone being able to get into the sergeants office so late into the night without detection?" She felt a hand on her back and glanced at its owner.

"We both agree with Berry. You have a leak and if you don't deal with it first, you'll never catch Nadia." Ethan concurred and she spied Saul nodding from her other side out of the corner of her eye.

"You can kick us off of the case or even the department, but don't forget you are ultimately responsible for the lives of the people in your department, sir. And too many of them are dead at the hands of the one family the police just can't get." Berry took a step back toward the door and Saul and Ethan moved past her to it. She heard it opening and shrugged as she lifted her hands, adding, "In fact, I'm beginning to think it may take more than the police or DEA agents to bring them down. So good luck, captain."

With that, Berry ignored him calling out her name and exited the office with her colleagues. Well, they technically were, yet also weren't at this point, but that was the least of her worries. She led them to the elevator and waited in silence as it journeyed to their level. There would be no more police back up aside from her two most trusted allies. There would be no more looking at the files compiled on their team's mobile device or flashing a badge to achieve the results they needed.

Ultimately, Berry believed it for the best and she walked into the elevator, still remaining quieted and stuck in her thoughts. If she was able to get the people she cared about the most away from harm's reach, she could delve into her own personal investigation and catch Nadia by any means necessary. It would mean going entirely off the books, rogue, which meant two things: She had to convince Saul and Ethan to keep an eye out for Kirah in her stead and could no longer stay in contact with her after she got her to safety. Same went for her brother.