Chapter 15 - The Trap Springs
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The front doors of the mansion burst open with a loud thud.
"FEDERAL AGENTS! DON'T MOVE!"
Detective Miller and six armed CID agents flooded into the foyer, weapons drawn and aimed straight at Sterling's chest. Behind them stepped General Vance, holding a secure tablet recording device that had been live-streaming our entire conversation directly to the U.S. Attorney's office.
Sterling backed away in terror, his hands flying into the air. "Emily! Wait! We can make a deal!"
"The time for deals ended when you targeted my family," I said coldly, stepping aside as the agents forced Sterling to his knees and snapped heavy steel handcuffs around his wrists.
"Richard Sterling," Detective Miller recited crisply, "you are under arrest for federal procurement fraud, corporate espionage, computer intrusion into a military system, and treason."
As they dragged the screaming executive down his front steps, General Vance walked up beside me, placing a proud hand on my shoulder.
"Exceptional work, Colonel," Vance said with a rare, genuine smile. "The Inspector General complaint has been officially dismissed. Your record is entirely cleared."
"And the contract, sir?" I asked.
"Re-validated and secured," Vance confirmed. "Carter Defense Systems will remain the primary contractor—under new, vetted leadership, of course."
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I took a deep breath of the cool morning air. The heavy weight that had rested on my chest for weeks finally dissolved into nothingness.
"Go home to your boy, Emily," Vance added gently. "You've earned some peace."
