The Last Message

Chapter 5:

The Hidden Truths Underwater Daniel's story started not with Lina, but with the first case. The First Girl 'Her name was Clara Voss.' Daniel said quietly, his fingers tracing the rim of his coffee cup. Steam rose between them in the dim light of the cabin. 'She disappeared in 1987 at seventeen. They said she ran away.' Mira, sitting across from him, looked tense. 'But she didn’t.' Daniel's face grew serious. 'No.' He pushed a photo across the table—a black-and-white image of a girl with braided hair by the docks. The edges were burned, as if someone tried to destroy it. 'Clara was the mayor’s daughter. Beautiful. Kind. And she was observant.' Daniel's thumb brushed the photo. 'She noticed the fishermen came back with empty nets but had money in their pockets. She saw the water near the northern cove turn black at high tide while the rest of the bay stayed clear.' Mira shivered. 'What was in the water?' Daniel looked her in the eye. 'That’s the question, isn’t it?' The Deal The story unfolded like a haunting memory: Clara went to the docks with her father one night, seeing crates being unloaded in the moonlight. Not fish. Not lobster. 'Medicine,' Daniel said. 'At least, that’s what they called it. Experimental drugs that could save a dying man—for a price.' Blackwater Cove was a drop-off point, a quiet town where no one asked questions. 'Clara threatened to tell the authorities,' Daniel said. 'Two days later, she vanished.' Mira felt her throat tighten. 'And no one did anything?' Daniel's smile was bitter. 'The police were the ones unloading the crates.' The Pattern Clara was the first, but not the last. Daniel showed more photos—a series of young faces, all missing. Sarah Hargrove, 1994. Her notebook washed up, filled with notes on the 'black tide.' Elias Pike, 2001. The fisherman’s son, curious about his father's sudden wealth. Mira looked at the crowd. 'Didn’t anyone step in?' 'People here prefer not to know,' Daniel said quietly. 'The money is too tempting, and the lies are easy.' He then showed the last photo. Lina. 'She came to investigate disappearances,' Daniel said, his voice shaky. 'She said she was writing an article. I didn’t realize she was looking for Clara until it was too late.' Mira's hands shook. 'What did she find?' Daniel hesitated, then opened a locked cabinet. Inside was a wet, crumpled notebook. Lina’s diary. He turned to the last page. 'They’re not just selling drugs,' Lina wrote. 'They’re poisoning the water with something worse. And Daniel’s father—' The rest was unreadable. Mira looked up. 'Your father?' Daniel's face was blank. 'He was the mayor, just like Clara’s.' A heavy silence fell. Outside, the wind howled through the trees, like whispers. Mira stared at the journal, at the frantic, ink-smeared words. 'Are you saying they—what? Killed her?' Daniel didn’t answer. Not with words. But his eyes said enough.

Chapter 6:

Secrets Below

The floorboards of the lighthouse creaked under their weight.

Mira knelt down, her fingers exploring the spaces between the planks, looking for the one mentioned in Lina’s journal—third from the west wall, bent at the edge.

Daniel stood guard by the door, his body tense. "We shouldn’t be here after dark."

Mira ignored him. Her nail snagged on a rough edge. She pried it up.

The board came off with a loud screech.

Underneath was a metal box, covered in salt.

The Box

The lock was rusty and stuck.

Daniel took out a pocketknife from his jacket and forced it into the crack. With a grunt, the lid opened.

Inside:

A vial of thick black liquid, like oil.

A pile of shipping documents, marked with a red logo—Blackwater Biotech.

A cassette tape with Lina’s handwriting: PLAY ME.

Mira’s breath caught. She reached for the tape, but Daniel held her wrist.

"Not here," he whispered. His eyes darted to the window. "We’re being watched."

The Walk Back

The way to Daniel’s truck felt too long and too open.

Mira held the box tightly against her chest, her heart racing as they walked through the tall grass. The wind carried voices—real or imagined, she couldn’t tell.

Then, they heard gravel crunching behind them.

Daniel turned quickly, pushing Mira behind him.

A shadow moved at the edge of the trees.

"Run," he whispered urgently.

The Safehouse

The cabin was smaller than Daniel’s, tucked away in the marsh. No electricity. No neighbors.

Mira fell onto the cot, her hands still trembling as Daniel put the tape into an old player.

Lina's voice echoed in the room. 'If you can hear this, I'm already gone.' There was static, then she continued, 'Blackwater Biotech isn't just dumping waste. They're conducting tests. The fishermen are getting sick. Their skin, their eyes... Daniel's father paid them to keep quiet. But it's spreading. The water, the fish...' A crash interrupted the tape, and Lina sounded panicked. 'They're coming. The vial is proof. Don't let them—' The recording ended abruptly. Silence followed. Daniel clenched his hands. 'We have to take this to the EPA. Right now.' Mira looked at the vial. 'And then what?' 'Then we burn this whole town down.'