Chapter 1 - The First Mistake
I looked at the three of them standing in the doorway of my daughter's hospital room.
They were waiting for me to scream, to cry, or to throw a desperate punch.
They were accustomed to dealing with people who could be bought or intimidated.
Patricia adjusted her diamond necklace, her cold eyes scanning my perfectly pressed uniform with sheer disdain.
"We will pay her medical bills, of course," Patricia offered with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"We are even willing to provide a generous monthly stipend if she quietly signs the divorce papers and relocates."
Nicholas smirked, crossing his arms over his expensive tailored suit.
"It is the best deal she is going to get, considering her fragile mental state," he added.
I did not raise my voice.
I did not break eye contact with the man who had laid his hands on my only child.
I simply reached into my tactical jacket and pulled out my encrypted military smartphone.
"You think my silence is hesitation," I said softly.
"You think my rank is just a title worn on a piece of fabric."
I tapped a single button on my screen and turned the volume all the way up.
A clear, crisp audio recording filled the quiet hospital room.
It was the sound of Patricia's voice, recorded just twenty minutes ago.
"Make sure the local police chief loses the domestic disturbance report, and wire ten thousand to the responding officer's offshore account," her recorded voice echoed.
Patricia’s arrogant smile vanished instantly.
The color completely drained from Gregory’s face.
"How did you get that?" Nicholas stammered, taking a terrified step backward.
I slipped the phone back into my pocket.
"I am the commanding officer of the 74th Military Intelligence Brigade," I stated calmly.
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"I have had your entire family's communications tapped for the last three hours."
Before they could even process the magnitude of their mistake, the hospital room door swung violently open.
