They sat across from Tyson in the back of a near-empty café.
The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. The only sound was the soft clink of spoons against mugs. Tyson looked thinner than Rafael remembered—nervous energy leaking from every twitch of his knee.
Anna slid the cassette across the table like it was a weapon.
"This belonged to Eli," she said.
"It's his voice. Talking about everything."
Tyson didn't touch it.
He just stared at Rafael. "So it's true," he muttered. "You remember."
Rafael didn't flinch. "I remember everything."
A Sudden Crack
Tyson's laugh cracked in the middle. "I told them it would come back to haunt us. I told Jude this wouldn't end with just burying a body and shaking hands."
He leaned closer. Eyes bloodshot.
"You know what they made me do, Rafael?
I cleaned the field after they dumped him.
I—cleaned—the—blood."
Anna's breath hitched. Rafael's hands clenched into fists.
"Then help us," Rafael said.
"Jude's still covering everything up. We can take him down—together."
But Tyson Shakes His Head
"No," he said. "You don't understand. You think Jude is scared of you?"
He leaned forward. "He's got people. Real people. He doesn't just coach anymore—he owns part of the scouting division. You take him down, you bring the whole league into it."
Anna: "So what, we do nothing?"
Tyson: "I'm saying… be careful who you expose.
You don't just get revenge on monsters without becoming one."
Rafael's Jaw Tightens
He stands, slipping the cassette back into his coat. "We're not asking for permission, Tyson. We're giving you a chance to choose a side."
Tyson's lips twitch. "I already chose a side the night Eli died. I just don't know how to live with it anymore."
Rafael: "Then help us fix it."
Final Line
As they left the café, Anna turned to Rafael.
"He's not the same Tyson."
Rafael: "None of us are."
But Rafael wasn't just thinking about Tyson.
He was thinking about the man watching them from across the street.
Jude's shadow had returned—and this time, it wasn't backing off.