Silent Justice

The room was dark, save for the dim glow of a laptop screen. The man sat hunched over the desk, eyes scanning the screen with an intensity that bordered on obsession. Every night, it was the same ritual. A glass of scotch sat untouched by his side, forgotten in the meticulous trawl through the online abyss. Tonight, he was looking for one man. A predator who had evaded justice far too long. His fingers moved deftly over the keys, pulling up files and piecing together the puzzle of the man's life. Name, address, daily routines—every detail was a step closer to justice. As the hours passed, he leaned back, satisfied. He had had enough. Tomorrow, he would set the plan into motion. This man would not harm another child. This man would not breathe another breath of free air. He reached for the glass, but then hesitated, his mind wandering back to the beginning. To the day that had set him on this path of silent justice. It had been a bright, sunny afternoon when his world shattered. His younger sister, only twelve, had disappeared on her way home from school. The police found her days later, bruised, broken, but alive. Her attacker, a repeat offender, was arrested but released on a technicality. The legal system had failed them.