Zian's chest rose as his words echoed across the bridge, bouncing off steel cables and concrete barriers.
The wind whipped through his dark hair, carrying the scent of river water and exhaust from the traffic jam his standoff caused.
"You want a statement?" He spread his arms wide. "Here's your fucking statement."
The nearest officer tightened his grip on his rifle, but with cameras rolling, no one dared fire.
"Detective Morrison!" Zian's roared over the crowd.
"Remember my family's case? When you told me to drop it—because the killer was a billionaire's son? When you said I should just take the compensation?"
Morrison's face drained of color. Several reporters turned their cameras toward him.
"And when I didn't back down, they pulled their strings and threw me into a warzone. Thought I wouldn't come back alive, didn't they?"
"That was an accident!" the negotiator insisted.
"Accident, my ass. They weren't just drinking that night—they were high on drugs too. Every last one of them was guilty."
"Sarah. Emma." His jaw clenched. "My girls. Eight and six. Playing in our backyard when Senator Caldwell's drunk son plowed through the fence at ninety miles an hour."
A reporter pushed closer to the police tape, microphone extended.
"But money talks. Caldwell's lawyers buried the toxicology report. Judge Blackwood reduced it to reckless driving."
"Six months suspended—for murdering children. What kind of justice system calls that fair?"
His words made everyone uncomfortable because they could feel the pain of a grieving father who had gone mad.
"Sir, step back from the edge. Just tell us where Senator Caldwell's son and his friends are."
Zian laughed. "No need for that. I'll confess right now, while the whole country is watching."
Turning to the side, he addressed the cameras directly.
"I already took care of them. Buried them alive, twenty feet down. I even recorded their screams. You want proof? Go check my basement."
The crowd stirred restlessly. A reporter shouted a question.
"Mr. Zian, were you behind the other deaths too?"
"Damn right. I killed the senator. That corrupt judge. And anyone else who had a hand in it."
He was grinning the whole time, confessing and piling on detail after detail, as though the horror of it all was his favorite punchline.
"Morrison's partner—Highway 12, brake lines cut. The prosecutor who buried my case? I tortured him first before tossing him into the ocean."
"That's enough!" Morrison shoved forward "Stop this madness!"
"Madness? No… this is justice." Zian's shook his head. "Something you forgot how to deliver."
The detective said nothing, his eyes darting as the crowd on the bridge continued to increased.
Behind the police line, phones buzzed with breaking news alerts. Social media exploded with clips of his confession.
The identity of the infamous killer known as the Butcher was finally revealed. Even more shocking were the revelations about why he did it.
"Don't go quiet on me, Detective." Zian's grin stretched wider. "How about you check on your family first?"
Morrison's hand trembled as he pulled out his phone. The screen showed three missed calls from an unknown number.
Before he could react, it rang again.
The detective's face drained of all color after ending the call.
"If you touched them, I swear I'll—"
"Do what ?" Zian threw back his head and laughed—a sound so unhinged it made several officers step back.
How could any human be this sadistic?"
"I just want you to feel what I felt all those years ago. My associate has your wife and kids… They'll walk free—if you put a bullet in your head right now."
"My revenge ends with your death." Zian spread his arms wider. "Now choose!"
The radio on the detective's belt erupted with chatter, units already heading for his home.
But Zian prepared for this moment for years. Even being cornered was part of the plan—his chance to show the world the corrupt justice system.
"They're scared, Morrison. Choose fast. The clock's ticking… or is your life more important?"
Social media exploded with hashtags. #JusticeForZianGirls. #MorrisonCorruption. #LiveConfession.#CorruptSystem
The whole country watched. Waited.
BANG!
A gunshot rang out across the bridge.
"NOOO!" Morrison cried out, helpless, as his last hope of saving his family fell from the bridge.