Found Obsession

Chapter 29: This is his blood!

Rose didn't know how long she had been unconscious, but she felt cold fingers on her neck, followed by a panicked voice.

"She's alive," the voice said with palpable relief.

Her eyes fluttered open.

"Riley," she whispered, her vision still blurry but slowly sharpening.

"You're okay, you're okay," Riley whispered, his voice filled with both relief and concern as he gently lifted her up. His arms wrapped around her securely, as if he'd never let go.

Rose's body felt as though it were weighed down by a million blocks, each movement a strain. Riley hurried her towards the ambulance, the sirens blaring around them. As the paramedics rushed to tend to her, she managed to sit up, pushing them away with trembling hands.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, her eyes distant, refusing their help. Her mind slipped into a catatonic state, the horror of everything she'd seen and endured leaving her numb, detached from reality. The paramedics exchanged worried glances but respected her wishes, stepping back, unsure of how to reach her.

"It's not my blood... it's not my blood..." Rose repeated in a whisper, sitting on the edge of the ambulance, her hands trembling as they rested on her knees. The words became a chant, an anchor in the overwhelming storm of memories.

Riley, his face lined with worry, took charge, organizing the scene. The SWAT team was inside the building, combing through the wreckage. Amidst it all, Rose's gaze drifted, catching sight of Paula being loaded into another ambulance, her face pale, her body still. They drew away.

Then..

Rose's heart clenched as she saw the black body bag being carried out by the forensic team. Henry.

Her breath hitched, but then, as if in slow motion, another bag followed. This time, she caught sight of a body being covered, just a hand slipping out from beneath the tarp. It took a moment for her mind to register what she was seeing, but the piercing scream that followed made it all too real.

The SWAT girl was on her knees, wailing uncontrollably over her fallen teammate, her body shaking with grief and rage. The sound of her agony filled the air, louder than the sirens, louder than the beeping, louder than Rose's own silent screams inside her head.

Rose couldn't move. Her eyes locked on the scene, her body frozen in shock. Each cry from the SWAT girl ripped through her like a knife, and Rose could only watch as everything unraveled around her.

It wasn't just blood on her hands. It was the weight of lives lost.

Rose stared blankly ahead, her senses dulled, the chaos around her distant and muted. The sounds of the SWAT girl's cries, the beeping, and even the hurried chatter of paramedics blended into a haze. She barely registered the conversation between Javier, Will, and Mira happening nearby.

Mira stood frozen, her eyes darting between Will and Javier. Her breath caught in her throat as the weight of their words sank in.

"Push it on Richard and Henry? They're dead, Will," Mira said, her voice barely a whisper, trembling with disbelief. "How can we-"

Will cut her off, stepping closer, his voice low but forceful. "We don't have a choice. If we don't spin this the right way, we're all done.

Mira's heart raced. "We dragged Rose into this. We let it happen." Javier informed.

Javier's voice hardened as he leaned in. "You think telling the truth will save her or us? Rose hacked into that database without orders. You know what that means, Mira. Unauthorized access, leaking sensitive information-it's all on us. If this gets out, not only will we lose our jobs, but we could end up in jail."