Chapter 5 - The Uninvited Guests
The flashing police lights painted the terrace in erratic bursts of crimson and blue.
My mother let out a triumphant gasp and glared at me with absolute sheer malice.
“See? You made such a violent scene that the restaurant called the authorities on you!” she yelled.
She waved frantically at the Military Police officers.
“Officers, please remove this woman from the premises immediately,” she demanded.
The lead MP, a towering sergeant with a stern jaw, completely ignored my mother.
He walked past her, locked eyes with me, and snapped a sharp salute.
“Commander Hayes, apologies for the interruption,” the sergeant said respectfully.
I nodded, returning the salute while keeping a watchful eye on Alan.
The sergeant then turned his attention to my stepfather, whose face had drained of all color.
“Alan Brooks, you are under arrest by the authority of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service,” the sergeant announced loudly.
My mother shrieked, clutching Alan’s arm as if she could physically shield him from the law.
“What is the meaning of this? He is a civilian!” she protested hysterically.
“He is a civilian contractor who just attempted to defraud the United States Navy and blackmail an active-duty officer,” the sergeant corrected her coldly.
Two other MPs stepped forward, effortlessly prying my mother’s hands away.
They slammed Alan against the stone wall of the patio and locked heavy steel cuffs around his wrists.
Alan did not fight; he just stared at the ground in defeated silence.
“Nora, call them off right now!” my mother screamed at me, tears streaming down her face.
“You used your little military connections to frame him because you hate us!”
I took a step forward, completely baffled by the situation.
“I didn't call them,” I stated truthfully, looking at the sergeant for confirmation.
The sergeant nodded in agreement as he pulled Alan toward the exit.
“Commander Hayes is correct; she had nothing to do with this dispatch,” the sergeant confirmed.
May you like
He paused at the door and looked back at my mother.
“We received an anonymous tip with an audio recording of the blackmail exactly five minutes ago.”
