Silence Means Violence

During a night patrol, Officer Rice and his partner discover a terrified young boy at a crime scene linked to a serial killer known as the "Holy Punisher". The Police Commissioner orders the boy to be questioned, but he remains in a state of shock, unable to provide any testimony. Detective Maxwell and his assistant, Sarah Barthel, must find a way to break his silence and track down the killer before dawn. Detective Maxwell conducts a harsh interrogation, exerting psychological pressure on the witness. But Sarah disagrees with his methods and tries to uncover leads before the boy gets harmed. Officer Rice decides to step up and joins the investigation, assisting Sarah with gathering evidence. Sarah becomes convinced that Oliver Donovan, a former patient of a psychiatric clinic, is the prime suspect. She wants to interrogate him, but Detective Maxwell is determined to solve the case on his own and keeps Sarah away from the investigation. During the questioning, the Commissioner realizes that Detective Maxwell is unable to make the boy speak, prompting Sarah to take over the interrogation. Using psychological tactics, Sarah manages to get the witness talking. She recalls a childhood incident Oliver once mentioned during a previous interrogation. When Oliver was a child, he suffered from domestic violence from the hands of his father. He attempted to communicate his ordeal through ventriloquist dolls but failed. Sarah employs the same method to make the witness open up. Meanwhile, Officer Rice strives to find a lead on the killer within the evidence. Sarah achieves a breakthrough: the witness's testimony, combined with the evidence, points to Detective Maxwell himself. Maxwell loses control and shoots the boy, killing him. At that moment, Rice shoots and kills Maxwell. After the incident, the Commissioner tries to console Sarah and offers her the detective position she has always dreamed of, but it turns out Sarah never had such aspirations. She stuns the Commissioner with a stun gun and remembers how she and Oliver committed a murder together, planning to frame Detective Maxwell and the Commissioner. All along, Oliver manipulated Sarah, intending to use her to exact his revenge. After escaping the clutches of his tyrant father, Oliver sought vengeance by killing other abusive parents, believing he was granting children the freedom and hope he never had. Sarah, who also endured abuse from her own father, initially embraced Oliver's cause, promising to assist him. However, she quickly recognizes him as another tyrant and wants to eliminate him along with the Commissioner and Detective Maxwell. At the last moment, Officer Rice helps Sarah reconsider her actions. She realizes her mistake and veering off the right path. As a result, Sarah makes the right choice, sacrificing herself.