Chapter 2 - Securing the Fortress
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“Mom, we have to hide. You don’t know what he’s capable of,” Sophia cried, her fingers digging desperately into my sleeve as I led her into the warmth of the brightly lit kitchen.
“Breathe, Sophia. You are safe here. Nobody touches you under this roof,” I said, keeping my voice level, steady, and unshakeable.
Another text buzzed on the counter.
You’re just an old retired woman in a big house. Don’t test me.
I looked at the glowing screen, a cold, humorless smile touching the corners of my lips. Victor was arrogant, and arrogance is always a criminal’s fatal flaw. He thought my silver hair and quiet demeanor meant weakness. He thought because I spent my days gardening and reading legal transcripts that I had been put out to pasture.
“Who is he texting?” Sophia whispered, her eyes wide with terror as she stared at my phone.
“A dead man walking,” I replied softly.
I guided her down the hall to the guest suite, a secluded room with heavy reinforced glass and a private security lock. I handed her a set of clean silk pajamas and a warm robe.
“Change, sweetheart. I’m going to call Dr. Harrison. He’s an old friend who won't ask questions through the local ER, where Victor’s corrupt cops could log your visit,” I instructed, moving with absolute precision.
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As Sophia disappeared into the bathroom, I pulled out my secure encrypted satellite phone—the one the District Attorney's office and the FBI field director used exclusively to communicate with me. I dialed a direct, highly classified extension.
“This is Judge Vance,” I said into the receiver, my voice cutting like glass through the quiet night. “The timeline has accelerated. Execute the wiretap orders immediately. I want every single phone, server, and ledger in Hale’s shipping empire tapped within the hour. And dispatch two federal marshals to secure Cedar Street discreetly. My family has been threatened.”
