Chapter 3: The Camera That Changed Everything
Thorne knelt beside Lily, his hands moving with the practiced gentleness of a medic. He checked her scrapes, spoke softly to her, and made sure she was breathing. The crowd of parents had begun to circle, their whispers growing into a dull roar of indignation.
Braden began to back away, hoping the crowd would act as his cover. "Whatever," he muttered. "She shouldn't have been in my way."
Thorne stood up. He reached into the breast pocket of his shirt and pulled out a small, unobtrusive device—a high-definition action camera. He held it up, his thumb resting on the playback button.
"I’ve been sitting in my car for twenty minutes watching you," Thorne said, his voice carrying to the surrounding parents. "I saw you trip the boy with the backpack. I saw you steal the lunch money from the freshman. And I just recorded you assaulting a seven-year-old."
The smirk vanished. Braden’s face drained of all color. He realized, with sudden, paralyzing clarity, that he wasn't dealing with a bystander. He was dealing with a witness.
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"That’s... that’s not legal!" Braden stammered, his bravado replaced by the stutter of a cornered animal.
"Recording in a public space?" Thorne asked, stepping toward him. "Perfectly legal. And the police are already on their way."
