Chapter 3: Shadows in the Backroom
The campus bookstore was blissfully empty when Maya pushed open the frosted glass door, her sneakers squeaking softly against the polished floor. She locked the heavy deadbolt behind her, sealing out the judging stares of the hallway. Leaning back against the wooden counter, she finally allowed her shoulders to drop, releasing a long, shaky breath that she had held since the cafeteria confrontation. Her hands trembled slightly as she set the recovered cash onto the glass countertop, beginning the meticulous process of sorting and flattening every single bill. Out of habit, she pulled out her logbook, checking the total against the morning ledger. Every cent was accounted for, down to the last nickel. But as she reached into her hoodie pocket, her fingers brushed against the hard, metallic edge of the flash drive she had found on the floor. Curiosity piqued, she plugged the small device into the side of the old desktop computer behind the register. The screen flickered to life, displaying a single folder labeled "PROJECT OAKRIDGE." Maya clicked open the directory, her eyes widening as she scanned the contents. It wasn’t just random files; it was a comprehensive financial audit of the school’s athletic department, complete with scanned receipts, bank transfer records, and encrypted memos detailing thousands of dollars in missing funds from student fundraisers and athletic budgets. At the top of the permission list, stamped with administrative credentials, was the name of Leo Vance’s father, who happened to serve as the treasurer of the Oakridge School Board. Maya stared at the glowing monitor, the pieces clicking together with terrifying clarity. The money dumped on her in the cafeteria hadn’t been a random act of teenage cruelty; it had been a desperate attempt to frame her, or perhaps simply a careless mistake made during a hurried handoff of stolen cash. The stakes of her quiet afternoon had just skyrocketed into something far more dangerous than she could have ever anticipated.
