Blood Money

A Tangled Web

New York City, September 2024

The events of the previous night had left the group exhausted but resolute. They had handed over the evidence to Detective Ramirez, and now all they could do was wait and watch their backs. As the first light of dawn crept into Aurora’s room, she knew there was no turning back.

Aurora glanced at her phone, the screen showing several missed calls and messages from her friends. They had all agreed to meet at Max’s place that morning to regroup and discuss their next move. She quickly got dressed and headed out, the cool morning air helping to clear her head.

When Aurora arrived at Max’s apartment, she found Chloe, Grace, and Sebastian already there, deep in conversation. Max greeted her with a relieved smile. “Glad you made it. We were just discussing what we should do next.”

Chloe, always the practical one, laid out their options. “We need to stay vigilant. The board members will be desperate, and they’ll try to cover their tracks. We have to make sure they don’t come after us or destroy any more evidence.”

Grace added, “I’ve been thinking about what Alex said. If there are other people involved, we need to identify them. We should dig deeper into the school’s history and the board members’ connections. There might be more we haven’t uncovered yet.”

Sebastian nodded. “And we need to keep a low profile. If they know we’re onto them, they’ll try to intimidate us or worse. We should stick together and avoid being alone as much as possible.”

Aurora agreed. “Let’s divide the tasks. Chloe and Grace, you continue looking into the school’s history and any connections to the board members. Max, Sebastian, and I will keep an eye on Alex and see if we can find out more from him.”

The group spent the rest of the morning strategizing and preparing for their next steps. They knew the road ahead would be dangerous, but their determination to uncover the truth gave them strength.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Aurora, Max, and Sebastian made their way to Alex’s house. They had agreed to meet him there to discuss their plan and gather more information. When they arrived, they found Alex pacing nervously in his living room.

Alex looked up as they entered, his expression a mix of relief and apprehension. “I’m glad you came. I’ve been thinking about what we talked about last night. There’s more you need to know.”

Aurora took a seat, her eyes fixed on Alex. “We’re listening. Tell us everything.”

Alex began to recount his story, his voice trembling with emotion. “Samantha and I were trying to expose the corruption within the school. We knew the board members were involved in illegal activities, but we didn’t realize the extent of their power. They have connections everywhere—in the police, in the city government, even in the media. They’ll stop at nothing to protect themselves.”

Max leaned forward, his expression intense. “Who else is involved? We need names, Alex. If we’re going to bring them down, we need to know who we’re up against.”

Alex hesitated, then sighed. “There’s a man named Richard Stanton. He’s one of the most powerful board members, and he’s been orchestrating the whole operation. He’s ruthless and won’t hesitate to eliminate anyone who threatens him. There are also others—lawyers, businessmen, even a judge. They’re all part of this network.”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. “We need to find a way to get to Stanton. If we can expose him, the rest will follow. But we have to be careful. He’ll be watching us closely.”

Aurora nodded. “We’ll start by gathering more evidence on Stanton. If we can link him directly to the crimes, we’ll have a strong case. Alex, can you help us with that?”