Chapter 2 - The Syndicate Connection
My mother screamed, a genuine, piercing sound of sheer terror, while my father slammed his hands onto the table. “Lies!” he roared, his face turning an ugly shade of purple. “She’s insane! She’s a violent, delusional girl who has always hated us! Your Honor, you cannot possibly believe fabricated military documents meant to slander upstanding citizens!”
I didn’t even look at him. I kept my eyes locked on Judge Henderson, who was now flipping through the pages with a horrified fascination.
“These are not fabricated, Mr. Sterling,” the judge said, holding up a page stamped with a Treasury Department seal. “This is a direct forensic trace of over twelve million dollars moved from your son’s protected trust into offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands, heavily linked to the very criminal enterprise Lieutenant Commander Sterling’s unit was investigating. It appears you have been using your son’s inheritance to collateralize loans for an international syndicate.”
Vance physically backed away from my parents’ table. The arrogant, untouchable lawyer who had just tapped my ballistic plate was now looking at his clients like they were radioactive. He knew that if he was tied to their financial crimes, he would lose his license and end up in a federal penitentiary.
“I need to make a phone call,” Vance stammered, grabbing his briefcase. “Your Honor, I am formally requesting to withdraw as counsel for the plaintiffs due to... unforeseen conflicts of interest.”
“You aren’t going anywhere, counselor,” I said, my voice echoing loudly in the cavernous room.
Just then, the heavy oak doors at the back of the courtroom swung open again. Four men in dark suits with earpieces strode in, followed closely by two armed military police officers. My commanding officer had promised that the FBI financial crimes division would be right behind me, and they were perfectly on time.
My mother collapsed back into her chair, sobbing hysterically. “Maya, please!” she wailed, reaching a trembling hand out toward me. “We are your family! We gave you everything! You can’t do this to us! We were just trying to protect the money for the future!”
May you like
“You were protecting yourselves,” I said coldly, finally turning to look at the people who had brought me into this world. “You hated that I joined the military. You called me a disgrace because I wouldn't wear your fancy dresses and marry into your country club lifestyle. But the truth is, you hated me because you couldn't control me. And when you realized you couldn't control me, you turned your sights on Toby. You tried to turn him into your personal ATM.”
My father, realizing his entire world was collapsing, let out a primal yell and lunged away from the table, sprinting not toward the exit, but toward the side door where Toby was waiting in the judge's chambers. He was desperate. He was cornered. And he was about to make the biggest mistake of his life.
