This camera watches the fuel control cabinet from that corner. She pointed toward a small black lens mounted near the ceiling. Everything from the past 3 months is stored here.
Danielle connected her secured evidence tablet to the backup system. Start with the recordings from nights when officer Voss's patrol vehicle was logged near the station. The transfer began immediately.
Files appeared on Danielle's screen showing dates, times, and thumbnail previews of the recorded footage. She could see clear images of the fuel cabinet. The pump controls and anyone who approached the restricted equipment.
There, Leah whispered, pointing to a file dated two weeks earlier. That one shows both of them. Danielle opened the video.
The timestamp read 2:14 a.m. In the recording, Officer Voss approached the fuel control cabinet with a key. The camera captured him opening the restricted panel and manipulating the electronic controls inside.
30 seconds later, Captain Shaw entered the frame. They spoke briefly before Shaw handed Voss what appeared to be a small electronic device. "Perfect," Danielle said.
"This directly contradicts Shaw's claim that he was managing a rogue subordinate." She continued copying files while Leah pointed out additional recordings showing similar late night visits. The evidence was comprehensive and damning. Multiple dates, clear images of both officers, documented access to the restricted fuel systems.
Behind them, Shaw stepped closer to the glass doors, but remained outside, as General Thorne had ordered. The transaction logs are uploading, too, Danielle noted, watching her progress bar advance. Everything should be preserved within— The station went completely dark.
Every light died simultaneously. The fuel pumps shut down with electronic whines. The register displays went black.
The backup recording system powered off with a final soft click. Leah gasped in the sudden darkness. What happened?
Emergency lighting kicked in moments later, casting everything in dim red illumination. The essential systems began restarting with mechanical hums and electronic beeps. But when the backup recorder came online, Danielle's tablet showed an error message where the transferred files had been.
Corrupted data, Leah said, staring at the device in horror. The files are showing as damaged. Danielle attempted several recovery commands, but the backup recordings remained inaccessible.
The transaction logs displayed similar corruption errors across multiple dates. Shaw entered the office now, his expression carefully neutral. Electrical failures happen in older buildings like this.
Unfortunately, when power systems surge during restoration, sensitive electronic equipment sometimes suffers data loss. How convenient, Danielle replied, continuing her recovery attempts. Agent Cross, without intact recordings, your accusations remain largely speculative.
Officer Voss may have acted inappropriately toward your credentials, but proving a broader conspiracy becomes much more difficult without that video evidence. Outside, Voss's confidence visibly returned as he watched Danielle struggle with the corrupted files. He moved closer to the office doors, his earlier nervousness replaced by growing arrogance.
"Looks like your smoking gun just evaporated," Voss called out. Funny how that works. Shaw shot him a warning look, but Voss ignored it completely.
You know what this means? Voss continued, his voice rising. All you've got left is a broken badge and some fuel records that could be explained a dozen different ways.