The Dark Before the Dawn

The past few months had been hell. Murder after murder, and still no sign or evidence of who did them until now. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't find anything to help the case move forward.
That was until now. The biggest shock to the police was that there was more than one killer. I suspected more than one, but not a whole group. The police did their best, but I found one specific piece of evidence that led us to where we are now.
The Temple of the Fellowship of the Darkened Dawn. It was a neo-Christian sect that punished those outside its walls of beliefs with death. Each victim had a cross etched into their foreheads and nailed to a tree.
I only found them because one of the members left a pamphlet on my doorstep. On it, they wrote details of the murders only me and the police knew about. It took some searching before I found where they met.
The temple wasn't typical or what I'd expected to see. It was a nondescript warehouse. Nothing special, and the only sign was the symbol of the cult that operated within its walls. A black sun radiated outwards.
If I were to drive past it, I'd miss it. Shortly after I got the paper, my phone rang with a voice telling me all the gory details of the members. They wanted it to stop.
I rushed over to the temple, not knowing what to expect. To my surprise, I found far more than I had planned. A plethora of information and evidence spoke of a much more severe crime. It was more than murder; it was a movement. A cult dedicated to the dark powers of the universe. They sacrificed those who didn't believe in their teachings.
For years, secret documents revealed endless financial exchanges, black magic rituals, intimidation tactics, and bribery. Clearly, this sect had been operating for much longer than anyone could have guessed–and had gone far beyond committing simple murders.
They handled countless crimes ranging from extortion to fraud to political manipulation in even higher places I didn't want to think about. They signed the documents with a single symbol and the same one on my pamphlet, and it made it clear who was behind all this chaos and destruction.
My mind raced as I put two and two together. The Fellowship of the Darkened Dawn was involved in much more than murder alone. They had been working tirelessly behind the scenes, manipulating events in the city with their own agenda all along!
There were less than twenty of them, but some held places of power in the city as major business owners. The kind of people who could make money by buying certain politicians and making the competition disappear.
All in the name of religion. Of course, I doubted this religion was so much a capitalistic cult using faith as its cover. I could be wrong; they very much believed what they taught.
Either way, I couldn't let this cult grow. They proved too dangerous and weren't exactly the love thy neighbor-type. The Fellowship of the Darkened Dawn was going down one way or another.
After the call, I went to the temple and found a secret meeting place where the cult met for their rituals and operations. A dark room with candles lit and black curtains that made it look like a place of worship but also a place of secrecy.
Clearly, they were trying to keep their activities hidden, which made me more determined to shut them down. It was impossible to tell how deep this rabbit hole went, but I knew I had to start somewhere.
I stood with a good part of the city's police force, waiting for the sign. They spread out us and hid in the rain. It was cold, wet, and miserable, but the idea of what we would do kept us warm.
My informant said it would be best to wait until the ceremony started. The ritual would distract them enough to catch them by surprise. We had no other choice, as solving this case proved challenging.
A warehouse stood along the edge of the river as rain poured down. There was no letting up, and my backup, the cops, and detectives on the case waited for the sign.
"How far to the top does it go, Janson?"
"From what I can tell while I was there, all the way to the mayor," I said, wiping the rain off my face. It was futile, but I couldn't help it.
"Fuck," said Captain Gray. "Should I have a force go arrest him as well?"
I shook my head. "No, not yet. Once we have proof in hand, then bust down his door."
"Can you trust your informant, Janson?"
"Yeah. She got me in there. I'm surprised she maintained her cover for so long. Most people would've lost their minds," I said.
"Shit, she shouldn't have put herself in that position. If they find out, she may be next," said the captain.
"Not if we arrest them first," I said.
"I hope she was right and not setting us up."
A small light appeared in a window. It was the sign. I waved my arm and headed towards the door slowly. The rest of the force did the same, their guns ready.
Several boats with other officers navigated the river to ensure no one got away. As I got close, the door opened, and Sara Milfield, my informant, opened the door. She was an older woman but took good care of herself. Tonight, her eyes and body trembled with fear.
"Go with Officer Daniels, Sara."
"Thank you, Milo. I mean Detective Janson," she said as Officer Daniels covered her with a blanket to keep her dry.
"They are starting the ceremony, and I made sure the doors are unlocked," she said.
"Thank you, Sara. The city owes you some gratitude," I said.
"I did it for my sister at first, but too many lives have been lost. I wish I could've done more."
I nodded as she left with Daniels. She didn't fully realize how much she helped, but I'd make sure she got a medal. She risked her life to track down her sister's killer, leading us to this cult.
It was warmer inside, but we crept through as fast as possible. The hallway wrapped around the center of the warehouse, which housed the sanctuary. Once everyone was in position, I gave the signal.
"Now!"
With my gun raised, I kicked open the door, the captain next to me, along with a few other officers. Other doors opened as the rest of the force moved in. The sight that welcomed us was gruesome.
In the center stood a large cross stained with blood and a lone figure nailed to it. Robed figures in black spun around in shock as the officer shouted for them to get to the ground.
Slowly I walked past each one, pulling back their hood. On his knees and in cuffs, the mayor glared at me in hate. The captain swore vehemently, but it didn't surprise me as much.
Within a few minutes, the fire department and paramedics entered the scene. They took care of the body on the cross while the captain shouted at the mayor. I circled the room slowly and took it all in.
Strange sigils marked the walls along with biblical scripture written in what I could only guess was blood. Forensics would confirm what I already imagined. It smelled of death and made me feel unclean. I shivered slightly and walked outside to see the rain had stopped, and the sun was rising.
The FBI had arrived alone with the state patrol. It took them long enough. They can help book all these fanatics. I let the sun's rays warm me up and smiled. At least this was finally over. Where one cult falls, another will eventually rise to take its place. Not on my watch.

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