"They're still protecting the operation after all these years. Your father hid evidence that could expose dozens of people in power." Jade checked her watch." We need to move. They'll trace us here eventually.
" They quickly sorted through the remaining materials, taking only the most crucial evidence. Jade packed the letters and key documents into her bag, while Sienna backed up her photos to cloud storage. Hale wrapped the disassembled sidearm back in its oilcloth." What about the rest?" Sienna asked, looking at the shelves of remaining files.
"We'll have to come back with a proper team," Hale said." Right now, we just need enough proof to force an official investigation." They carefully closed the unit, replacing the lock. The lot was still empty except for the attendant's car. Everything looked normal, undisturbed.
Hale drove them back toward the main road, taking a different route than they had arrived. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the pavement. They were less than a mile from the storage facility when Jade noticed it in the side mirror, a black SUV pulling out from a side street matching their speed." We've got company," she said quietly, watching the vehicle settle into position behind them. The black SUV surged forward without warning, ramming into their rear quarter panel with crushing force.
Metal screamed against metal as their car spun wildly toward the concrete median. Sienna clutched the evidence bag to her chest while Hale fought the steering wheel." Brace!" Jade shouted, grabbing the headrest as they skidded sideways. Their vehicle slammed into the median with a sickening crunch, airbags exploding in a cloud of white powder.
For a moment, everything was chaos and ringing ears. Then Jade heard car doors opening behind them." Police! Show your hands!" a voice bellowed, but something was wrong about the tone, too aggressive, too eager. Through the cracked side mirror, Jade saw four men approaching with weapons drawn.
They wore plain clothes and tactical vests, but no badges or proper identification. Their movements were uncoordinated, nothing like real police procedure." Sienna, stay down," Jade ordered, reaching for the duffel bag. Her fingers found the oilcloth wrap containing her father's disassembled sidearm. Years of military training took over as she quickly joined the pieces together.
Hale shifted painfully beside her, blood seeping from a graze on his upper arm where glass had cut him." They're not real officers," he whispered." The approach is all wrong." The fake officers spread out around their damaged car. One of them aimed directly at Sienna through the rear window.
That was another mistake. No legitimate officer would target an unarmed teenager first. Jade finished assembling the weapon just as one attacker reached for her door handle. She kicked it open hard, catching him in the knee. He stumbled backward, cursing.
Jade used the moment to slide out low, keeping the car between her and the other gunmen." Federal agent!" Hale shouted, drawing his own weapon despite his injury." Stand down!" Instead of complying, one of the attackers opened fire.
The sound was deafening in the confines of the intersection. Civilians screamed and scattered. Car horns blared as drivers abandoned their vehicles for cover. Jade moved with careful precision. Nothing flashy or dramatic.
She took measured shots only when she had clear lines of fire, forcing the attackers to duck behind parked cars. Her goal was not to pursue. It was to protect her family and survive." Sienna, move to the median when I tell you," she called." Keep the evidence secure.
" A delivery truck screeched to a halt at an angle, accidentally blocking one gunman's position. The driver bailed out and ran, leaving the engine running. Sienna used the distraction to scramble over the center console, still gripping the document bag." Now!" Jade laid down covering fire while Sienna sprinted to the median's concrete barrier.
Hale provided additional suppression, his shots careful and precise despite his wound. One attacker tried to flank their position but slipped on scattered glass. As he stumbled, something fell from his tactical vest, a black police-issue radio earpiece. It bounced once and slid toward the gutter, clearly stamped with county inventory markings. Sienna had her phone out, recording faces and details whenever she could safely peek over the barrier.
Got clear shots of two of them and their vehicle plates. Sirens wailed in the distance, getting closer. The attackers heard it, too. Their coordinated assault began to fall apart." We need to move!" one of them shouted.
"Now!" They retreated in stages, two providing cover while two ran back to their SUV. Jade did not chase or take unnecessary risks. She maintained defensive fire only when they presented clear threats. The black SUV peeled away just as the first legitimate police units appeared at the far end of the intersection.
Jade carefully set her weapon down and raised her hands, making sure approaching officers could see she was complying." Federal Agent Hale!" Hale called out again, displaying his credentials." We were attacked by armed suspects impersonating law enforcement." The scene quickly filled with real police cars, paramedics, and crime scene units, but Jade noticed how some officers exchanged looks when they saw the county-issued earpiece.
A few touched their own radio sets self-consciously. She realized they could not trust any local evidence chain. The corruption went too deep. Traffic backed up for blocks as investigators photographed bullet casings and impact marks. Paramedics bandaged Hale's arm while Sienna gave a preliminary statement, carefully omitting any mention of the storage facility or documents.
Jade stood beside their ruined car, watching the controlled chaos of the crime scene. The attack had been professional but rushed, likely triggered when someone spotted them leaving the storage facility. The fake officers had expected an easy ambush against unprepared targets. Instead, they had faced trained resistance and fled when witnesses appeared. But they would try again.
Probably somewhere more isolated next time. Jade retrieved her father's gun and the spent casings from her position, legally documenting everything through proper channels, but she kept the earpiece separate, wrapped in a clean handkerchief. That piece of evidence would go directly to federal authorities along with the rest of what they had recovered from the locker. A detective approached with a notebook ready to take her statement. Jade composed her face into a calm mask, prepared to share only the minimum required by law.
The real investigation would have to happen outside local jurisdiction. The evening sun cast long shadows through Judge Miriam Caldwell's kitchen windows as Hale winced under Maria's careful cleaning of his arm wound. The retired nurse from three doors down had come as soon as Miriam called bringing her medical kit and decades of experience treating everything from scraped knees to gunshot grazes." Hold still." Maria muttered dabbing antiseptic on the cut.
"At least it's shallow." Across the kitchen table Sienna's fingers flew over her laptop keyboard creating backup after backup of the evidence they had recovered. Her phone lay beside her streaming the local news coverage of both the morning siege and afternoon shooting." This is garbage." Sienna said gesturing at the screen.
"Listen to how they're spinning it." The news anchor's voice filled the kitchen." Questions remain about this morning's law enforcement operation at the home of a local resident with alleged ties to missing federal property. Sheriff Whitaker's office describes the incident as an unfortunate miscommunication that escalated unnecessarily." "Miscommunication?
" Jade's voice was quiet but sharp." They surrounded my house with 15 armed men and no warrant." "They're already trying to bury it." Hale said checking his secure phone." My contacts say the department's media response team is in full damage control.