The streets outside the police headquarters were a storm of voices, fists raised high in the air as the crowd swelled to the thousands. A sea of banners and placards rippled beneath the city lights, their messages loud and defiant: "Justice for Raka!""No More Corrupt Cops!""Resign, Rudi!" "Sick Bastard, How Could You Killed An Innocent Teenager"The deafening chant of protesters shook the ground, their fury undeniable, their cries unrelenting.
"WE WANT JUSTICE! WE WANT JUSTICE! WE WANT JUSTICE!""
The once-orderly protest had grown into something far more volatile. What had started as peaceful demonstrations had transformed into a tense standoff between the people and the police. Riot officers in full gear lined the entrance of the headquarters, shields raised, batons gripped tightly in gloved hands. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Behind the barricades, Commissioner Arief Kusuma stood in the dimly lit press room, staring at the screens broadcasting the protests in real-time. His jaw was clenched, his fingers drumming against the polished wood of the podium. He had been in the force for decades, but never had he seen the public so enraged, so unwilling to back down.
"Sir, they're demanding His resignation," one of his subordinates murmured nervously, shifting on his feet. "If we don't do something soon—"
"We are doing something," Arief snapped, his patience fraying. "Get the press ready. I'll make my statement in ten minutes. And make sure Rudi keeps his damn mouth shut. He's done enough damage."
("THIS JUST IN: COMMISSIONER ARIEF KUSUMA TO ADDRESS PUBLIC OUTCRY OVER THE RUDI HARTANTO CASE.")
The television screens in every household, every bar, and every office switched to the breaking news feed as the press conference began. Commissioner Arief adjusted his tie before stepping up to the podium, his expression a mask of control.
"Citizens of this nation, I want to address the grave concerns that have shaken our community in recent days," Arief began, his voice steady, measured. "The footage regarding Inspector Rudi Hartanto is deeply troubling, and I assure you that an independent investigation has been launched to uncover the full truth behind this incident."
The crowd watching from the streets was silent for a brief moment, absorbing his words. Then, a ripple of skepticism spread through them. Whispers turned into murmurs, and murmurs escalated into outright shouts.
"Liar!" someone bellowed from the middle of the protest.
"You think we're stupid?!" a woman shouted, waving her phone. "We've heard this before! You'll just protect your own!"
On social media, the skepticism was even more brutal.
#AriefIsCoveringUp trended within minutes.
"Independent investigation? Yeah, sure. Just like the last ten times we heard that bullshit."
"If it's truly independent, why aren't external bodies involved? Why is the police investigating the police?"
"How convenient that they're investigating after the footage leaked. Where was this 'justice' before we saw the truth?"
"This bastard is just buying time. They're going to destroy evidence and threaten witnesses before anything real happens."
The news anchor reporting on the scene could hardly ignore the mounting doubt. "It seems the public remains unconvinced," she said as the camera panned to the furious crowd. "Many believe this so-called independent investigation is simply a way for the authorities to control the narrative. And given the history of police corruption cases in this country, skepticism is at an all-time high."
Audrey, Hana, Kenzo, and Damian watched from their hideout, their faces illuminated by the screens before them. The room was silent except for the faint hum of the monitors and the occasional distant roar of the protests.
Kenzo scoffed, his sharp eyes dissecting Arief's every movement. "He's lying."
Audrey folded her arms, her gaze unyielding. "Of course, he is. He's not investigating anything. He's just buying time, hoping the protests will die down."
Damian leaned back against the wall, arms behind his head. "So, what's our play? We just let this old bastard keep running his mouth?"
Hana, who had been silent, finally spoke. "No," she said, tilting her head slightly. "We let him dig his own grave."
"Okay that's enough for today, let's get back to work guys" Kenzo says
Behind the scenes, Arief was far from calm. As soon as the press conference ended, he turned to his most trusted officers. "Start erasing the files. Every record, every document that could link us to Rudi—burn it. We can't have any loose ends."
His men nodded and disappeared down the hall. Phones were confiscated from junior officers who might leak information. Witnesses—other officers who had seen too much—were quietly escorted to interrogation rooms. Some of them would be "persuaded" to stay silent. Others... well, there were ways to deal with those who refused to cooperate.
As Commissioner Arief ordered his men to start erasing evidence, the main characters infiltrated the operation by disguising themselves as lower-ranking officers assigned to data clearance. Slipping into the records room unnoticed, they worked their way through the files, subtly corrupting the deletion process. Rather than erasing the documents as instructed, they backed up every crucial piece of evidence to an external drive while making it appear as though the files were successfully wiped.
Before they could slip away, they spotted a tense conversation unfolding in the hallway.
A detective, young and unsure, hesitated near the evidence room. Officer Daniel Wijaya and unlike most officers in the force, he still believed in justice. He had seen the unedited footage. He knew Rudi had murdered that boy in cold blood. And now, they were ordering him to help destroy the evidence.
Daniel swallowed hard. He couldn't do this.
His fingers hovered over his phone. Should he record this? Should he leak it?
Before he could make a decision, a hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"Having second thoughts, Detective?" It was Bima, his superior officer. His grip was firm, unrelenting. "Don't be stupid. Do what you're told."
Daniel nodded slowly, suppressing the bile rising in his throat. He needed to get out of here. He needed to find someone who could expose this before it was too late.
Behind the scenes, Arief was far from calm. As soon as the press conference ended, he stormed into his office and slammed the door shut. His face was red with fury, his breathing ragged. The second Rudi Hartanto stepped inside, Arief exploded.
"You absolute fucking idiot!" he roared, slamming his fist onto the desk. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"
Rudi flinched but tried to keep his composure. "Sir, I—"
"Shut your damn mouth!" Arief's voice was like a whip, lashing through the room. "You were supposed to keep a low profile, not shoot a kid in broad daylight! Do you even have a goddamn brain in that thick skull of yours?!"
Rudi's jaw clenched. "It wasn't my fault—"
Arief grabbed a folder from his desk and flung it at him. Papers scattered everywhere, the contents damning. "Not your fault?! The entire country has seen the footage, you moron! We had a system! We had control! And now you've thrown everything into chaos!"
Rudi's hands curled into fists. "I did what needed to be done."
Arief's eyes darkened with something colder, deadlier. He stepped forward until he was inches from Rudi's face. "What needed to be done was covering our tracks, not putting a target on all our backs. Do you understand what's happening outside? Do you understand how close we are to losing everything?!"
Rudi swallowed hard but didn't speak.
Arief exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. "Listen to me very carefully. You are going to disappear for a while. I don't care where. But if you so much as breathe the wrong way, I will make sure you never see the light of day again. Do you understand me?"
Rudi's expression twisted with defiance, but he gave a stiff nod. "Yes, sir."
Arief watched him for a long moment before turning away. "Now get the hell out of my sight."
As Rudi left the office, Arief clenched his fists, his mind racing. He needed to act fast. He needed to bury this before it buried him.
Then, his phone buzzed. A single message flashed across the screen:
"You should be very careful, Commissioner. The walls have ears. And soon, they will have teeth."
Arief felt a chill creep down his spine. For the first time that night, true fear settled in.
Somebody was watching.
Somebody was coming.