The Dark Alley: Episode 4 - Betrayal in the Ranks | Feat. Leonie Frazier | Crime Fiction

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_05]: Previously in Episode 3 of The Dark Alley.

[00:00:02] [SPEAKER_01]: They're all places where people have disappeared.

[00:00:05] [SPEAKER_01]: This isn't just a random ritual, it's a... it's a network!

[00:00:08] [SPEAKER_02]: The big players.

[00:00:11] [SPEAKER_02]: They'll be at an old warehouse in Brooklyn.

[00:00:14] [SPEAKER_04]: Recognize anyone?

[00:00:16] [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, that's Councilman Reeves.

[00:00:18] [SPEAKER_06]: And next to him, the police chief.

[00:00:20] [SPEAKER_06]: Clara and Mark record everything with a hidden device.

[00:00:23] [SPEAKER_02]: We need to accelerate the schedule.

[00:00:26] [SPEAKER_02]: The next sacrifice is critical.

[00:00:30] [SPEAKER_05]: Clara's phone buzzes, alerting the men.

[00:00:33] [SPEAKER_05]: They turn.

[00:00:34] [SPEAKER_05]: Run!

[00:00:36] [SPEAKER_05]: They dash through the warehouse, dodging crates and gunfire.

[00:00:41] [SPEAKER_00]: That was too close.

[00:00:43] [SPEAKER_06]: But we got what we needed.

[00:00:45] [SPEAKER_06]: We've got them on tape.

[00:00:46] [SPEAKER_04]: We need to... get this to someone.

[00:00:50] [SPEAKER_01]: We can trust.

[00:00:52] [SPEAKER_05]: There's a reporter at The Times.

[00:00:54] [SPEAKER_01]: Looks like we're not done yet.

[00:00:56] [SPEAKER_05]: The Dark Alley, Episode 4.

[00:00:58] [SPEAKER_05]: Betrayal in the Ranks.

[00:01:00] [SPEAKER_05]: The sounds of a bustling newsroom fill the background.

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_05]: Ringing phones, chatter, and the clatter of keyboards.

[00:01:08] [SPEAKER_05]: Clara and Mark enter, making their way to a reporter's desk.

[00:01:13] [SPEAKER_05]: The Times Newsroom.

[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_05]: Clara and Mark approach the desk of Emma Collins,

[00:01:19] [SPEAKER_05]: a seasoned investigative journalist.

[00:01:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Clara James.

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Heard you've been stirring up quite the story.

[00:01:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Emma, we need your help.

[00:01:28] [SPEAKER_01]: We've got evidence of a ritualistic network involving some very powerful people.

[00:01:33] [SPEAKER_06]: It's all on here.

[00:01:35] [SPEAKER_03]: We recorded their meeting.

[00:01:37] [SPEAKER_03]: As Emma listens to the recording, her eyes narrow.

[00:01:41] [SPEAKER_03]: She knows this is the kind of story that could shake the city.

[00:01:45] [SPEAKER_03]: But it's also the kind that puts lives in danger.

[00:01:48] [SPEAKER_00]: You weren't kidding.

[00:01:49] [SPEAKER_00]: This is big.

[00:01:50] [SPEAKER_00]: But if we're going to run this, we need more than just audio.

[00:01:53] [SPEAKER_00]: We need corroboration.

[00:01:55] [SPEAKER_01]: We'll get it.

[00:01:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Just promise us you'll be ready when we do.

[00:01:59] [SPEAKER_00]: I always am.

[00:02:06] [SPEAKER_05]: Police Headquarters.

[00:02:08] [SPEAKER_05]: Clara and Mark are in a secluded office going through files.

[00:02:12] [SPEAKER_06]: Someone here is working against us.

[00:02:14] [SPEAKER_06]: We need to find out who.

[00:02:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Look at this.

[00:02:19] [SPEAKER_01]: Every time we get close...

[00:02:21] [SPEAKER_01]: Our leads disappear.

[00:02:24] [SPEAKER_01]: Someone's clearing up behind us.

[00:02:27] [SPEAKER_05]: And Detective Anderson, a trusted colleague, enters.

[00:02:31] [SPEAKER_05]: What are you two up to?

[00:02:32] [SPEAKER_04]: Just following up on some cold cases.

[00:02:35] [SPEAKER_04]: What's up?

[00:02:36] [SPEAKER_04]: I heard about your little investigation.

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_04]: Be careful.

[00:02:40] [SPEAKER_04]: Not everyone is who they seem.

[00:02:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Can we trust him?

[00:02:45] [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know.

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_03]: But we have to keep moving.

[00:02:48] [SPEAKER_03]: The room feels colder after Anderson's visit.

[00:02:52] [SPEAKER_03]: Clara and Mark can sense the betrayal lurking in the shadows,

[00:02:55] [SPEAKER_03]: unsure of whom to trust.

[00:03:00] [SPEAKER_05]: The safehouse.

[00:03:02] [SPEAKER_05]: The quiet hum of city life outside.

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_05]: Clara and Mark are hunched over a map marking locations.

[00:03:08] [SPEAKER_01]: These are all the places linked to the disappearances.

[00:03:12] [SPEAKER_01]: There's a pattern, but it's not complete.

[00:03:15] [SPEAKER_06]: We're missing something.

[00:03:16] [SPEAKER_06]: What if there's another player we haven't seen yet?

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_05]: A sudden knock on the door startles them.

[00:03:25] [SPEAKER_05]: Mark grabs his gun, signaling Clara to stay back.

[00:03:29] [SPEAKER_05]: He opens the door to find Tony, looking desperate.

[00:03:33] [SPEAKER_02]: They're onto you.

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_02]: They know you're getting close.

[00:03:36] [SPEAKER_02]: What do you mean?

[00:03:38] [SPEAKER_02]: Someone high up.

[00:03:39] [SPEAKER_02]: They're planning to take you out.

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER_02]: You've got to move now.

[00:03:43] [SPEAKER_06]: Then we're running out of time.

[00:03:45] [SPEAKER_06]: We need to expose them tonight.

[00:03:48] [SPEAKER_03]: Tony's warning sends a chill through the room.

[00:03:52] [SPEAKER_03]: The clock is ticking,

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_03]: and every second brings Clara and Mark closer to danger.

[00:03:58] [SPEAKER_05]: The final ritual site.

[00:04:01] [SPEAKER_05]: The eerie quiet of the night,

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_05]: interrupted by occasional distant city sounds.

[00:04:06] [SPEAKER_05]: Clara and Mark sneak into an old abandoned church,

[00:04:10] [SPEAKER_05]: following Tony's lead.

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Are you sure about this?

[00:04:14] [SPEAKER_02]: This is where it all goes down.

[00:04:17] [SPEAKER_02]: The final piece of the puzzle.

[00:04:20] [SPEAKER_02]: They move quietly.

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_05]: Suddenly they hear voices and hide behind a large pillar.

[00:04:28] [SPEAKER_05]: Everything is in place.

[00:04:31] [SPEAKER_04]: Tonight, the ritual.

[00:04:34] [SPEAKER_04]: And then we eliminate the threats.

[00:04:38] [SPEAKER_05]: Clara silently records the conversation, her heart pounding.

[00:04:42] [SPEAKER_05]: The tension is palpable.

[00:04:43] [SPEAKER_06]: We need to get this to Emma.

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_05]: Now!

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_05]: They carefully back out of the church,

[00:04:48] [SPEAKER_05]: but as they reach the exit,

[00:04:49] [SPEAKER_05]: they're confronted by Anderson, gun drawn.

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_05]: Going somewhere?

[00:04:54] [SPEAKER_01]: Anderson?

[00:04:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Are you in on this?

[00:04:57] [SPEAKER_04]: You should have stayed out of it.

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_04]: But now, it's too late.

[00:05:02] [SPEAKER_05]: Before Anderson can react,

[00:05:04] [SPEAKER_05]: Tony tackles him,

[00:05:06] [SPEAKER_05]: and a struggle ensues.

[00:05:08] [SPEAKER_05]: Mark and Clara escape into the night,

[00:05:10] [SPEAKER_05]: running towards their car.

[00:05:12] [SPEAKER_03]: The betrayal cuts deep,

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_03]: but there's no time for anger.

[00:05:17] [SPEAKER_03]: Clara and Mark know the danger they're in,

[00:05:19] [SPEAKER_03]: and every second is a race against death.

[00:05:25] [SPEAKER_05]: Emma's apartment.

[00:05:26] [SPEAKER_05]: The sound of hurried footsteps and frantic knocking.

[00:05:32] [SPEAKER_06]: What happened?

[00:05:33] [SPEAKER_06]: We've got everything.

[00:05:34] [SPEAKER_06]: Audio, video, it's all here.

[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_01]: We need to go public, Emma.

[00:05:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Now!

[00:05:41] [SPEAKER_00]: You two stay safe.

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_00]: They'll be coming for you.

[00:05:45] [SPEAKER_03]: As Emma works to expose the truth,

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_03]: Clara and Mark prepare for the storm that will follow.

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_03]: The battle lines are drawn,

[00:05:53] [SPEAKER_03]: but they know the truth is on their side.