The garage was dim, lit only by the glow of Tina's laptop screen and a single bulb overhead. I could feel the tension radiating off Elsie and Tina as we huddled around the rickety work bench, finalising our plan. My heart pounded, and I took a deep breath to steady myself. It had been a long night.

  "Okay, let's go over it one more time," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Tina, you'll start uploading the video and files to Tiktok, X, Facebook, and Instagram simultaneously. You’ll tag the state police and FBI pages. Elsie and I will monitor the initial reactions and be ready to respond if needed."

  “Then we’ll broadcast across the gala screens once people are gathered.” Elsie responded. Wilson had provided the login details for the gala audio-visual system. We would broadcast from the van which we would park near the town hall where the gala opening was happening. “Ready to go live on camera Finch?”

  “No?”

  Elsie green eyes flashed with determination. "We've got this, Arlo. It's time Havenwood learns the truth."

  I met her gaze, drawing strength from her unwavering confidence. With a slight nod, I signalled to Tina. "Alright, let's do this."

  Tina's fingers flew across the keyboard, her wild blonde curls bouncing as she worked. The room filled with the rapid-fire clicking of keys and the occasional whoosh of files being sent into the digital ether.

  "Imagine if these files were like little birds," Tina mused, her dreamy voice at odds with the intensity of the moment. "Flying out into the world, ready to sing their songs of truth."

  I couldn't help but smile at her whimsy, even as my stomach churned with nerves. "Let's hope those birds have loud voices," I replied.

  Elsie paced behind us, her footsteps echoing in the small space. "How long until the first post goes live?" she asked, impatience colouring her tone.

  "Any second now," Tina replied, her amber eyes fixed on the screen. "Oh! There it goes! Our digital rebellion has begun!"

  I leaned in, watching as notifications began to pop up on the screen. Likes, shares, comments - the evidence was spreading faster than I'd dared hope. A mix of elation and fear washed over me as I realised there was no going back now.

  "It's working," I breathed, almost afraid to believe it. "People are actually seeing it."

  Elsie squeezed my shoulder, her touch grounding me. "You did it, Arlo. You found the truth, and now everyone will know."

  I turned to her, overwhelmed by the magnitude of what we'd set in motion. "We did it," I corrected her. "I couldn't have done this without you both."

  As the room buzzed with anticipation and the soft glow of justice being served, I allowed myself a moment of hope. Maybe this would see dad set free.

  We went into the house to get some breakfast as dawn broke. Mrs. Harper was making pancakes. Mr. Harper's voice cut through the tension, steady and resolute. I turned to see him pacing near the window, phone pressed to his ear.

  "Listen, Carol, this isn't just another story. We're talking about systemic corruption that goes straight to the top. I need this on the front page, and I need it now."

  I couldn't help but admire his determination. Mr. Harper had always been a pillar of integrity, and now he was fighting for the truth with everything he had.

  "Yes, I understand the risks," he continued, his tone urgent but controlled. "But the people of Havenwood deserve to know. We can't let fear silence us. You’ve seen the evidence and my story. It’s going online as we speak. The Herald needs to respond."

  As he spoke, I felt a surge of pride. This was what real journalism looked like – not the watered-down fluff pieces Mayor Thorne had been feeding the town, but raw, unfiltered truth. We gave him a copy of the files last night. Like us he’d worked through the night to get the story out.

  After wolfing down Mrs. Harpers’ delicious pancakes we left, got in Tina’s parents’ van and headed out to the town hall. My stomach was churning. It was one thing to get the evidence, it was another thing to present it live to your community.

  "Alright, Arlo," Elsie's voice pulled me back to our task. "We're up next. You ready to crash a party?"

  I nodded, trying to ignore the tremor in my hands as I set up the camera. "As ready as I'll ever be," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

  Elsie must have noticed my nervousness because she stepped closer, her green eyes meeting mine. "Hey," she said softly, "you've got this. Remember why we're doing this."

  I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "For justice," I murmured, "for the truth. For dad."

  "Exactly," Elsie smiled, and I felt my resolve strengthen. "Now let's go make some noise."

  As she adjusted the final settings on the camera, and I took my place in front of it, I couldn't help but marvel at Elsie's unwavering confidence. It was like a shield, protecting us both from the enormity of what we were about to do.

  "You know," I said, managing a small smile, "I'm really glad you're here with me, Elsie."

  She grinned back, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Where else would I be? Someone's got to keep you from fainting on camera."

  I laughed, feeling some of the tension ease from my shoulders. With Elsie by my side, I felt like we could take on the world – or at least, the corrupt powers of Havenwood.

  "Alright," I said, taking one last steadying breath. "Let's do this."

  She leaned in behind the camera and I saw the red light on the camera blink to life. The livestream had begun.

  "Good morning, citizens of Havenwood," I said, my voice steady despite the nerves churning in my stomach. "This is Arlo Finch, and I'm here to share some important information with you."

  Through the laptop tuned into the town hall, I could see the gala attendees' faces shift from confusion to curiosity. Murmurs rippled through the crowd as more people turned their attention to the large display where our stream was being projected.

  “As many of you know my father has been falsely accused of fraud. He, like many others, has been discredited to cover a conspiracy that goes to the highest level’s of our town and states government. What you're about to see is evidence of that corruption and conspiracy,. Evidence that implicates many of our civic leaders, including mayor Thorne." I continued, my heart pounding. I glanced at Elsie, who gave me an encouraging nod.

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  As I began to narrate the evidence, laying out the trail of deceit and greed that led straight to Mayor Thorne's office, the reactions in the crowd intensified. Gasps echoed through the town hall auditorium, followed by shocked whispers.

  "Is this for real?" I heard someone ask.

  "It can't be," another voice insisted, but the uncertainty was clear.

  I pressed on, my voice growing stronger with each revelation. "The documents you're seeing now, and that are now online, prove that Mayor Thorne has been embezzling funds meant for our schools and parks."

  The whispers turned to outraged exclamations. I caught sight of Mrs. Abernathy, my English teacher, her hand pressed to her mouth in disbelief.

  "This is preposterous!" Mayor Thorne's voice boomed from somewhere in the crowd. "Turn that off immediately!"

  But it was too late. The truth was out, and it was spreading like wildfire. Tina posted links to the files in a ticker tape along the bottom of the screen. I saw people going and looking at it.

  Suddenly, Elsie tugged on my sleeve. "Arlo, look outside," she whispered urgently.

  I turned, and my jaw dropped. Through the large windows of the gala venue, I could see a crowd gathering on the street. It started small, just a handful of people, but as I watched, more and more joined.

  "They must be watching the livestream on their phones, or seeing the socials, " I murmured, a mix of awe and trepidation washing over me.

  The chants started softly at first but quickly grew in volume. "Justice for Havenwood! Truth now!"

  I turned back to the camera, my heart racing. "As you can see, the people of Havenwood demand answers. Mayor Thorne, what do you have to say for yourself?"

  The chaos outside was growing, the air thick with the sound of angry voices and the clamour of footsteps. I couldn't help but think, 'What have we started?'

  But then I caught Elsie's eye again, saw the fierce determination there, and I knew. We'd started the change Havenwood desperately needed. She cut the livestream, came around the camera and hugged me. Then Tina came and hugged us both. We had done it. The truth was well and truly out there.

  As I disentangled from the hug my phone buzzed, I pulled it out, a private number was calling. I showed Elsie and Tina. “Answer it!” Tina demanded.

  “Wait,” Elsie said. She pulled out her phone and hit record. “Put it on speaker, in case...maybe it’s extortion or something.”

  I nodded. Once she was recording I hit the green button and put it on speaker. “Arlo Finch here.”

  “Mr Finch,” a rich baritone voice emanated from the phone. “I am Special Agent Branden Dallas with the FBI. I have seen your posts on social media. My team are reviewing the files you uploaded now,”

  Tina jumped up and down clapping her hands.

  “We will have a team on the ground in Havenwood in the next hour. Please do not take any further action until then.”

  “Uh, yes sir.” I relied looking at Elsie and Tina.

  “And nice work Mr Finch. See you in an hour or so.” He hung up.

  I scanned the growing crowd outside, my heart pounding. It looked like further action was happening regardless of Special Agent Brandon’s direction. That's when I spotted Officer Jenkins on the edge of the throng, his weathered face a mask of conflict. His grey eyes darted between the protesters and the gala, brow furrowed deep in thought.

  "Elsie, Tina," I whispered, nudging her. "Look at Jenkins."

  We watched as the veteran cop took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. Then, to my astonishment, he stepped forward and raised his voice above the din.

  "As an officer of the law," Jenkins called out, his words cutting through the chaos, "I can no longer stand by while injustice prevails. What these young people have uncovered... it's the truth. We will see to this matter."

  A hush fell over the crowd. I couldn't believe it – Jenkins, always so by-the-book, was speaking out. I wonder if he knew that Chief Reeves was involved yet.

  "We need to get to the town hall," Elsie said, her green eyes flashing with determination. "Thorne will be trying to do damage control."

  My stomach churned, but I nodded. "You’re right. Let's go."

  We exited the back of the van and dashed to the town hall. Before I knew it, we were bursting through the doors, greeted by a scene of pandemonium. Mayor Thorne stood at the podium; his face flushed as he tried to address the angry mob of citizens. Lots of people were holding up their phones; recording or livestreaming.

  "This is all a misunderstanding," he was saying, but his voice wavered.

  I stepped forward, my heart in my throat. "Is it, Mayor Thorne?" I called out, surprised by the steadiness in my voice. "Or is it that you've been caught red-handed?"

  Thorne's eyes locked onto me, narrowing dangerously. "You insolent boy-"

  "No," I cut him off, feeling Elsie's supportive hand on the small of my back, it was like she was radiating strength into me. "We have evidence, Mayor. Irrefutable proof of your corruption. It's time to come clean."

  Elsie's voice joined mine, fierce and unwavering. "The people of Havenwood deserve the truth. No more lies, no more cover-ups."

  As we faced down the mayor, I felt a surge of courage. Whatever happened next, we'd exposed the truth. And that was a start.

  The crowd's murmurs swelled, a wave of disbelief and anger rippling through the room. Mayor Thorne's carefully constructed facade began to crumble before my eyes.

  "Now, now," he stammered, his usual smooth charm faltering. "Let's not jump to conclusions. These are complex matters of civic governance that-"

  "Cut the crap, Mayor," I interrupted, feeling bolder by the second. "We've seen the documents. We know about the kickbacks, the laundered money, all of it."

  Thorne's eyes darted around the room, reminding me of a cornered animal. His perfectly coiffed hair was starting to wilt, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple.

  "You don't understand," he spluttered, his words tripping over each other. "Everything I've done has been for the good of Havenwood. Sometimes difficult choices must be made for the greater-"

  Mr Harpers’ voice rang out from the crowd cutting through his rambling. "So, you admit you've done something wrong?"

  The mayor's face paled. I could almost see the gears in his head spinning, trying to find a way out. But it was too late.

  "I... I never meant for it to go this far," he blurted out, his voice cracking. "The development deals, the zoning changes... I thought I could control it. I thought I was helping our town grow!"

  The room fell deathly silent. I held my breath, scarcely believing what I was hearing. Mayor Thorne, the man who'd seemed untouchable for so long, had just confessed to everything.

  I glanced at Elsie, seeing my own shock mirrored in her wide eyes. We'd done it. We'd actually done it. He had essentially confessed in front of everyone.

  The silence shattered like glass. A roar erupted from the crowd, a tidal wave of emotions crashing over us all. Shouts of anger and disbelief mingled with cries of vindication.

  "How could you?"

  "We trusted you!"

  "Lock him up!"

  I turned to Elsie, our eyes meeting in a moment of shared triumph. Her fierce green eyes sparkled with a mix of relief and determination. We didn't need words; the slight nod we exchanged said it all. Our crazy, dangerous plan had actually worked.

  "I can't believe we pulled it off," I whispered, a grin tugging at my lips despite the chaos around us.

  Elsie's trademark smirk appeared. "Never doubt my genius, Finch."

  A commotion near the entrance caught my attention. My heart skipped a beat as I saw the unmistakable blue uniforms of the state police pushing through the crowd. They were followed my men and women in dark suits.

  "Looks like the cavalry's arrived," I murmured, nudging Elsie.

  “I wonder if that’s the FBI, they said they were an hour away.” She replied looking at the agents coming in and dispersing through the room.

  We watched as the officers made their way to the podium where Thorne stood, still stammering excuses. The lead officer's voice cut through the din:

  "Mayor Thorne, you're under arrest for corruption and misuse of public funds."

  Around the room I saw agents walking up to others. Chief Reeves was protesting loudly as three agents attempted to put him in handcuffs. I saw other agents chasing other high profile figures out of the exits.

  Elsie slipped her hand into mine and gave it a squeeze. As they led Thorne away in handcuffs, a weight I hadn't even realised I'd been carrying lifted from my shoulders. I let out a long sigh of relief.