Chapter 10 - The Photograph in the Glass
The scattered pages of the manila folder fluttered across the glass-strewn floor under the icy draft blowing through the shattered diner window. The state police captain lowered his assault rifle by a fraction of an inch, his eyes drawn downward by the stark contrast of old, faded ink against the black and white police boots.
Resting right at his feet was the original hospital birth registry page from St. Jude’s, stamped with the official seal of the state health department. But clipped to the top of it with a rusted paperclip was an artifact that stopped the seasoned commander dead in his tracks: a polaroid photograph showing a younger, clean-shaven Deputy Miller standing in a dimly lit hospital corridor, handing a stack of unmarked hundred-dollar bills to a nervous-looking intake nurse.
Miller’s face drained of every trace of color, his skin turning the grayish hue of wet ash. He shoved hard against the trooper pinning him to the wall, his voice rising to a panicked screech. "Don't look at that! It's forged! It's all part of an anti-police smear campaign by a bunch of backwoods junkies!"
The captain ignored the deputy completely. He knelt down slowly, his heavy ceramic vest clanking against his chest, and picked up the polaroid with two fingers. He turned it over, revealing the handwritten date on the back: December 14, 2015—Transfer Complete.
"December fourteenth," the captain muttered, his voice cold as ice. He slowly raised his head, fixing his hard, uncompromising gaze on Deputy Miller. "That was the exact night the state registry reported an infant abandonment case on Route 9. But according to these files, the child was never abandoned at all. He was intercepted in the parking lot and sold to a private broker in the capital."
Leo was still struggling against the grip of the two junior troopers near the window, his little legs kicking uselessly as he sobbed. "Dad! Make them let me go! I want my dad!"
Jax stood tall between his captors, his hands tightly bound behind his back with thick plastic ties. His face was a mask of hard, unyielding granite, but his eyes burned with a dark, terrifying fire as he looked at the captain. "You finally read the right page, Captain? Or are you going to keep pretending this badge gives you the right to sell children?"
The captain stood up, his jaw set in a hard, rigid line. He turned his gaze from Jax to the terrified local deputy. "Miller, you're relieved of duty. Detain him and seize his personal vehicle. We’re calling the state attorney general’s office right now."
"You can't do this!" Miller screamed, thrashing wildly as two troopers finally tackled him to the floor, snapping heavy steel handcuffs onto his wrists with brutal efficiency. "You don't know how deep this goes! The entire district court is tied into this! You'll bring down half the county government!"
"Good," the captain said flatly.
He walked over to where Leo was standing, the two junior troopers looking nervously to their commander for guidance. The captain stopped a few feet away, kneeling down so he was at eye level with the trembling eight-year-old boy. He looked at the oversized flannel shirt draped over Leo’s thin shoulders, then down at the scuffed sneakers with holes in the soles.
"What's your name, son?" the captain asked, his tone softening just a fraction, losing its harsh tactical edge.
"Leo," the boy whispered, wiping his nose with his sleeve. He cast a desperate look toward Jax. "Are you going to put my dad back in the cage?"
The captain looked back at Jax, who stood waiting with unbreakable dignity despite the plastic ties cutting into his wrists. The commander let out a long, slow breath, standing up and reaching for his radio mic.
"Cut those ties off him," the captain ordered the nearest trooper.
"Sir?" the trooper blinked in surprise. "He’s a suspect in an unlawful extraction and assault—"
"I said cut them," the captain repeated, his voice brooking no argument. "The only crime committed here eight years ago was kidnapping under the color of law. And as of right now, this man is no longer a fugitive."
The plastic zip-ties snapped with a sharp pop, and Jax immediately dropped to one knee, sweeping his massive arms around Leo and pulling the boy tightly against his chest. Leo buried his face in his father’s leather vest, his small shoulders finally relaxing as he let out a long, shuddering sigh of pure relief.
May you like
Before anyone could speak, the diner's landline phone on the wall behind the counter began to ring with a shrill, unending persistence that made everyone in the room jump.
---
