Chapter 6 - The Blast Radius
I didn't think, I just reacted.
I sprinted toward the sliding glass door at the back of the kitchen.
I dove through the screen just as the timer hit zero.
The explosion ripped through the back of my house, sending a shockwave that threw me into the grass.
Glass shattered and rained down around me like deadly confetti.
A plume of smoke and fire billowed from my kitchen windows.
My ears were ringing loudly, a high-pitched whine drowning out the night.
I forced myself to stand up, coughing as thick black smoke filled my lungs.
They didn't just want to ruin my career anymore.
They wanted to make sure I never made it to court.
Sirens began to wail in the distance, growing louder by the second.
I knew I could not stay here and explain this to the local police.
The corrupt contractor owned the local cops, and I would be arrested for the explosion.
I limped to my car parked down the street, my shoulder throbbing in pain.
I started the engine and drove into the shadows, my mind laser-focused.
I had lost my house and my physical files.
But a JAG attorney never relies on just one copy of the evidence.
I drove to a twenty-four-hour storage facility on the edge of town.
Inside unit 402 was a fireproof safe containing the real documents.
I punched in the code and pulled out three thick manila folders.
These folders held the financial records, the illegal wiretaps, and the proof of Judge Thorne's bribery.
I sat on the concrete floor of the storage unit, breathing heavily.
My phone buzzed in my pocket with a text message from Sarah.
I opened it, expecting a picture of Eli sleeping peacefully.
Instead, the message read: "We have your son, Commander."
May you like
A second message immediately followed it.
"Bring the files to the downtown federal courthouse garage immediately, or you will never see him again."
