Chapter 10 - The False Victory
The first rays of dawn broke through the safehouse windows, illuminating our exhausted but determined faces.
Brenda had spent the entire night scanning the ledger and transmitting the files to a trusted contact at the FBI.
By 7:00 a.m., the trap we set had finally slammed shut.
Brenda's phone buzzed with an incoming text from her contact, confirming the operation was a success.
Every offshore account tied to Julian Vance had been frozen by federal authorities.
Furthermore, a heavily armed tactical unit had raided the Georgetown house and arrested Julian on federal racketeering charges.
Clara burst into tears of overwhelming relief, clutching Lily tightly to her chest.
The monster was finally in a federal holding cell, completely stripped of his wealth and his power.
We had actually done it.
I brewed a pot of coffee, feeling a profound sense of safety I hadn't experienced since Arthur died.
We sat around the small wooden table, discussing how we would rebuild our lives far away from Washington.
Clara even managed a small, genuine smile as Lily happily colored in a coloring book.
Suddenly, three heavy, rhythmic knocks echoed from the solid steel front door of the safehouse.
Brenda frowned, unholstering her weapon as she crept toward the peephole to verify her contact.
She lowered her gun immediately and let out a heavy sigh of relief.
She announced that it was just the FBI task force arriving to take our official statements.
Brenda unbolted the heavy door and swung it open to welcome the agents inside.
Six federal agents stormed into the small room, instantly drawing their weapons and aiming them directly at me.
The lead agent barked a command, violently slamming me against the wall and forcing my hands behind my back in heavy steel cuffs.
Brenda screamed in confusion, demanding to know what the hell they were doing.
The lead agent declared coldly that I was under arrest for the premeditated murder of Detective Marcus Thorne.
He pulled an evidence bag from his jacket, displaying the murder weapon they had just found hidden perfectly under the spare tire in my SUV.
As the agent turned his face into the light, my heart completely stopped beating.
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He possessed the exact same piercing blue eyes and cruel, arrogant jawline as the man we had just put behind bars.
The federal agent leading the task force was Julian's older brother.
