Chapter 4 - Under Watch
he two officers went completely pale. They looked at my badge, then at each other, the
arrogance evaporating from their faces in an instant. They stumbled backward down my
steps, stammering apologies about 'misunderstandings' and 'bad information,' before scrambling
back into their cruiser and speeding away into the night. I closed the door and locked it. I knew they
would immediately call Victor to report their failure, and that was exactly what I wanted. Every call
they made to Victor was now being routed directly through the FBI’s federal intercept servers.
I walked up to my study, opened my secure laptop, and logged into the encrypted federal judicial
portal. A notification popped up from Special Agent Marcus Carter, the lead investigator on the Hale
Group task force. Wiretaps are fully active as of 11:00 PM, Judge Vance. We are already intercepting
high-volume encrypted traffic. Thank you.
I typed a brief, secure message back: The target sent local officers to my residence tonight to
intimidate my daughter. The local precinct is compromised. Focus surveillance on Victor Hale's direct
communications with local law enforcement.
Within minutes, Agent Carter replied: Understood. We are shifting several field units to secure
the perimeter of your estate. No local authorities will be allowed near your property without federal
clearance. We've got you covered, Your Honor.
I closed the laptop and walked to the guest room to check on Sophia. She was finally asleep, her
breathing deep and even, though she still clutched the blanket tightly over her belly. I sat in the
armchair beside her bed, watching over her. The battle had officially begun. Victor Hale thought he
was a god in this city, but he had made the fatal mistake of bringing his violence to my doorstep. He
believed the law was his shield, but he was about to find out that the law can also be a sword—and I
May you like
was the one wielding it.
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