Chapter 6 - The Unseen Reinforcements
Rachel pressed a single button on her military phone and held it to her ear. She didn't look at Nicholas, nor at Patricia. She kept her cold gaze locked onto Gregory, who was sweating profusely near the door.
"Major Vance," Rachel said into the phone, her voice crisp and commanding. "Initiate Protocol Delta-7. Secure the perimeter of the Ferguson Real Estate headquarters and freeze all accounts associated with Ferguson Holdings immediately."
Patricia laughed aloud, though a twitch in her eyebrow betrayed her growing anxiety. "Protocol Delta-7? What kind of ridiculous military cosplay is this? You can't freeze private civilian accounts! You don't have the authority!"
"I don't," Rachel replied calmly, lowering her phone. "But the United States Department of Defense does."
Nicholas stood up slowly, clutching his sore jaw, his smirk fading into confusion. "What are you talking about? My family runs a real estate firm, not a defense contractor!"
"Your family runs a firm that bought three major commercial properties in downtown Baltimore last month," Rachel said, taking a step toward Nicholas. "Properties that were purchased using funds transferred directly from my late husband's trust."
Nicholas blinked, a shadow of doubt finally crossing his eyes. "So what? It's private property!"
"My late husband," Rachel continued, her voice echoing with deadly precision, "was not just an aerospace engineer. He was a primary contractor for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency—DARPA. The trust fund you spent the last two years illegally siphoning wasn't just personal family wealth. It was a classified government research grant under federal protection."
Patricia’s face drained of color. "What... what did you say?"
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"You didn't just steal from my daughter," Rachel said, her eyes flashing like steel. "You committed grand larceny against the United States Military."
👉 At that exact moment, the heavy double doors at the end of the hospital hallway burst open with a loud thud.
