A Quiet Night on Patrol
It was late in the evening when Officer Greg Martinez slowly drove his patrol car behind a small strip mall during a routine check of the area. Most of the businesses had already closed, leaving the parking lot quiet and nearly empty.
Rain had been falling steadily for hours. Streetlights reflected off puddles scattered across the pavement, and the only sounds were the soft hum of distant traffic and raindrops tapping against the windshield.
Officer Martinez had driven through this area many times during his night shifts. Usually, there was nothing unusual—perhaps a stray shopping cart, a few trash bags near the dumpsters, or the occasional raccoon passing through.
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