The city of Jakarta was really different tonight. You could hear sirens going off in the distance. They were not chasing a bad guy. It was more like people were in charge and doing what they wanted. People on the streets were wearing armbands to show they liked the Executioner. This was a deal for them. It was like a new beginning. For Pistachio, the Executioner, things were about to get a lot worse.
The Old Dutch Cemetery
Pistachio got to the Petamburan Cemetery at 23:45. It was really dark. The graveyard looked pretty scary with big stones sticking out. The moon was hidden behind clouds. Pistachio could smell the ground and the bad smell of old frangipani flowers that were rotting away. The Petamburan Cemetery was a spooky place at night.
He walked toward an old and falling-apart mausoleum that was all the way at the back of the grounds. The door had a symbol on it that was hard to see. It was a picture of a set of scales that was broken. Pistachio took the silver key. Put it into the old lock that was all rusty.
Click.
The big, heavy door made of iron creaked open. It showed a staircase that went around and around, going deep into the ground. The staircase was one, and it led deep underground to who knows where. The iron door was really heavy.
The Forgotten Archive
Below the ground, the air was really dry. It smelled like old dust that had been there for a very long time. Pistachio turned on the flashlight on his phone. He did not see any people or things that could hurt someone. What he saw was a lot of boxes, thousands of them all neatly stacked up on metal shelves that went all the way up to the ceiling. The archive boxes were organized in a neat way.
"Welcome to 'The Garden', Detective."
Pistachio spun around, his hand grabbed the handle of his pistol. A woman was sitting behind a wooden desk. This was a woman that Pistachio used to know. She was a smart young lawyer named Saraswati. Saraswati had quit her job five years ago. Pistachio remembered Saraswati as a young prosecutor.
Saras, are you really helping the Executioner? Pistachio asked in a voice.
Saraswati said, "I am not his helper, Pistachio. I am the librarian." She spoke in a voice. She moved her hand to show the thousands of files that were around them. "The Garden" is what we call this place. This is where we keep all the things that people did, but nobody knows about. There are files about people who did things and got away with it. Some things were supposed to be evidence. They were destroyed. Some people were paid to say nothing. The truth was hidden. We call it "The Garden" because this is where we try to make things right. We try to make sure that people get what they deserve. This is where justice starts to grow so that bad people can be punished. Saraswati looked at Pistachio. Said, "This is what The Garden is."
The Root of Everything
Saraswati pushed a folder toward Pistachio. "You think Saraswati is talking about one minister or one chief justice? Look at this list that Saraswati has here."
Pistachio opened the folder. He looked at the papers, and his eyes got really big. The names that were written down were not just people who work for the government. The list of names also had business people, famous people, and even some high-ranking police commanders from Pistachio's own police headquarters. Pistachio saw the names of business titans and public figures. He was surprised. The names of ranking commanders from his own police headquarters were also on the list.
Saraswati stood up. Walked toward him. "The Executioner does not use magic to kill The Executioner's victims, " Saraswati said. "The Executioner does not use the supernatural to kill them. The Executioner uses technology that can affect things inside their bodies. This technology is frequently. It can trigger the implants that these wealthy men have. These implants are things like pacemakers and insulin pumps, and health sensors. The Executioner hacks into their bodies using these things that are supposed to help them. The Executioner uses their luxury against them.
The Final Test
Pistachio's phone started vibrating all of a sudden. He saw that someone was calling him on video. The number was not one he knew. Pistachio answered the call. Malik's face showed up on the screen.
His partner was tied up to a chair in a room that was filled with tanks of chemicals. Behind Malik was a person, in a coat, the same person he saw on the roof.
The man on the end of the line said to the Detective, "You get to decide what happens next". The voice was weird and electronically sounding. The Detective had something in each hand. In the Detective's hand was something that could help the Detective take down the whole bad system that was in place. This was all because of something called The Garden. The Detective's left hand was holding onto the life of the Detective's very loyal partner to the Detective.
Pistachio shouted, "Let him go!"
Malik is sitting on a trigger for the bad gas they used at the crematorium yesterday. If you give that folder to the police, Malik will die, and people will think he is a hero. If you burn that folder and join us, Malik will be okay. He can go free. Malik will not have any problems if you burn that folder and join us. Malik will be able to leave, and he will be safe.
Saraswati looked at Pistachio with a cold but hopeful gaze. "Choose, Pistachio. The law that protects criminals, or the justice that destroys everything—including your friendships."