Chief Woody's words gave Luke a wild guess.
He still couldn't quite believe it, so he tested the water.
"You're saying the mayor and the others…"
"That's right. They already signed off."
Woody finished the thought for him.
"You're probably wondering why they'd agree to sothing this crazy. But you gave them the final push."
"?"
Luke couldn't imagine how he factored in.
Woody clapped him on the shoulder.
"Don't sell yourself short. You're more important than you think."
"Think about it—you're a governnt employee who spent ti with those heavy hitters and actually understands how dangerous they are. Your opinion carries weight."
"I took your report from last night straight to them. Told them Miami now has twenty or thirty monsters walking around who can casually murder soone like John Wayne Gacy."
"I also told them our departnt has an expert who believes that without extre asures, Miami is about to turn into a cri the park."
Luke's eye twitched.
Expert? When the hell had he beco an expert?
He'd just spent two weird weeks in a haunted prison.
Seeing Luke's stunned face, Woody finally burst out laughing.
"Hahaha—don't take it too seriously. The politicians just couldn't cover this up anymore. Those escapees made too much noise."
"Last night's triple homicide scared the piss out of them."
"As for the hundred-grand bounties… hey, it's not coming out of my budget."
Luke rubbed his forehead, feeling drained.
This was the horror-movie world, huh?
It felt like he hadn't just escaped one insane prison—he'd stepped into a much bigger one called Miami.
Everyone here had their own agenda and zero interest in anyone else's safety.
Right then Clarice walked up, looking completely lost.
"Luke, what the hell is going on out here?"
"I left the motel and the whole way here I kept seeing civilians carrying guns and newspapers like they were hunting sothing."
Luke sighed and gave her the short version of Woody's plan.
When she finished listening, her face went through the sa disbelief Luke had felt.
"I've only been in Miami two days and I've already seen more crazy shit than in the last twenty years combined."
"Chief Woody, this isn't going to cause full-blown panic and riots across the city?"
Woody had been heading back inside, but he stopped and turned.
"Hmph. Rookie through and through. Always overreacting."
"Go ask your FBI veterans how much dirty work the Bureau has pulled over the years. This is nothing."
He didn't bother arguing further. Instead he looked at Luke.
"Kid, you and the fed just keep working the case. Hopefully your mysterious mastermind doesn't get gunned down by one of our enthusiastic Miami citizens first."
With that he laughed and disappeared into the station.
Inside, the officers were already gearing up with big grins. As the city's only legal source of violence, they weren't about to miss the biggest payday in years.
Luke and Clarice stood outside, staring at each other.
"So… you planning to join the hunt and cash in on the bounty?"
Clarice asked with a half-smile.
Luke shook his head.
"Pass. Right now anyone who sticks their head up is just a target."
He thought for a second. The best lead was still Laurie. Maybe she knew sothing useful without realizing it.
They drove to the motel on the corner and found her arguing with her adoptive father.
"Dad, we can't stay cooped up here forever."
The mont she saw Luke and Clarice her eyes lit up and she rushed over.
"Officer Luke, perfect timing! I've got an amazing idea that'll definitely catch Myers!"
"Oh? Let's hear it."
Luke looked at her with genuine curiosity.
"It's simple. I go ho like nothing happened. You two hide inside. The second he walks through the door we all pull our guns and—biu, biu, biu!"
She mid shooting with her fingers and made the sound effects.
Her father grabbed her arm in panic before she could finish.
"Laurie, stop this nonsense right now! As long as I'm alive you are not doing anything that stupid."
Luke couldn't help laughing at her enthusiasm.
She was young and still thought she was bulletproof.
"Relax. We're not letting you anywhere near danger."
"Fine…"
Laurie pouted when everyone shot down her plan.
But Luke's next words perked her right back up.
"I found your old house through the orphanage. Let's go take a look. Maybe sothing there will jog your mory."
"Yes! Finally getting out of here!"
They drove to an abandoned two-story house. Laurie gasped when she saw it.
"This is it? I always heard this place was haunted. I had no idea I used to live here."
She wrinkled her nose in distaste.
Luke ignored her and walked up to the front door.
It was boarded shut with wooden planks full of rusty nails.
He tried pulling one off but gave up fast. Instead he stepped back, raised the shotgun, and smashed the butt straight through the door.
A wave of moldy dust and stale air rolled out.
Luke held the shotgun in one hand and covered his mouth and nose with the other as he stepped inside, sweeping the rooms.
Clarice followed right behind him, weapon ready, with Laurie and her father close after.
"Well? Any mories coming back?"
Laurie stared at the furniture, eyes going distant.
"It's real… everything in my dreams was real."
She walked slowly through the rooms, touching things as fragnts started surfacing.
"I rember all of it. This was my ho."
Luke pressed her gently.
"What about Myers? Do you rember him?"
Laurie nodded.
"I rember him. In my mories he was tall and always protecting ."
"He used to smile a lot. Until the new nanny showed up. After that he changed."
Nanny?
Luke leaned in. This was the break they needed.
"Was there anything strange about that nanny?"
Laurie tried hard to recall but eventually shook her head.
"I was too young. I don't rember much. Just that whenever she cleaned she always played music on the record player."
They started searching the house imdiately.
It didn't take long. Clarice found an old record player and a plain black vinyl in a dusty cabinet.
Luke set the record on the turntable. After all these years it still worked.
A beautiful lody began to play.
Luke's pupils shrank.
He knew that sound too well.
It was the exact chanting he had heard inside the prison walls.
"This is it. We finally have a real lead."
All they had to do now was find out who that nanny was and they could trace it straight back to whoever was behind everything.
Just as Luke reached to take the record off, urgent shouting erupted outside.
"Hey you! Stop right there! Let see if you're one of the escapees—hey, don't run!"
Bang… bang… bang…
A rapid string of gunshots tore through the air.
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