Chapter 3 - The Federal Mandate
By dawn, Sarah’s team had crossed county lines and entered the heavily fortified federal building in San Diego. The contrast between the corrupt, decaying town of Oakhaven and the sterile, untouchable halls of the Department of Justice was staggering.
U.S. Attorney David Vance, a man known for his relentless pursuit of organized crime, sat across a massive mahogany conference table from Sarah. He was reviewing the contents of Maya’s hard drive and listening to the pendant recording.
When the audio finished, the room was dead silent. Vance slowly took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
"I've seen cartels with more morality than this family," Vance muttered. "The offshore accounts match the dates of the bribes to Chief Miller and Mayor Hayes. The shipping yard 'accidents' correlate perfectly with large payouts to the medical examiner. It’s a textbook RICO case. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act."
"Can you arrest them?" Sarah demanded, her voice tight with exhaustion and rage.
"Not just arrest them, Chief Jenkins. We can seize every asset they own. The ships, the real estate, the bank accounts. But Arthur Sterling is a shark. He has a legion of lawyers. If we move now, he’ll claim the audio is manipulated and throw Greg and Marcus under the bus to save himself. We need Arthur on tape. We need him admitting to the overarching conspiracy, proving he is the head of the snake."
"How do we get that?" Thomas asked.
Sarah looked at the table, her mind calculating the odds. "Arthur thinks I'm a terrified mother who just ran from a police raid. He thinks I'm desperate. He believes everyone has a price."
May you like
"Sarah, no," Jackson warned, stepping forward. "It's too dangerous."
"I’m going back," Sarah said, looking directly at the U.S. Attorney. "Set up the wire. I’m going to walk into the Sterling compound, and I am going to sell my soul to the devil. And when he buys it, you drop the hammer."
