Captain, you briefed us about recovering federal evidence. You said it was urgent. Pike whirled toward his own officer. I told you to focus on the arrest procedure. No, sir, the officer replied, his voice shaking slightly.
You specifically mentioned a security device in the suspect's jacket. You said federal command had confirmed the location. Another local officer stepped forward. Captain, you showed us photos of Marcus during the briefing. You said he was a high priority target carrying classified materials.
Pike's control was cracking visibly. Those were legitimate intelligence materials. From what source? Dalton demanded. Federal task force personnel information isn't distributed through local intelligence channels.
Marcus felt the pieces clicking into place with mathematical precision. Captain Pike, I need to ask you directly. Did you receive surveillance photographs of me from outside official channels? Pike said nothing. Because federal personnel photos aren't included in legitimate briefing materials for local support operations, Marcus continued.
The only way you could have obtained my photograph would be through unauthorized access to federal surveillance files. Elena moved closer to Pike. Her voice dropping to a prosecutorial tone that could cut glass. Captain, you're looking at federal charges for unauthorized access to classified materials, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and civil rights violations. Your best option right now is to start explaining how this information reached you. " Pike looked around the ballroom desperately, as if searching for an escape route that didn't exist.
The federal agents remained positioned throughout the room. His own officers had stepped away from him. Even the wedding guests were staring at him with open hostility. "This is entrapment," Pike said finally, his voice. "You deliberately fed false information to law enforcement. " Marcus shook his head. ""We distributed controlled information to identify a suspected leak. " You confirmed the leak by acting on false intelligence.
The realization hit Pike like a physical blow. His wedding interruption hadn't just failed. It had exposed him as the source they'd been hunting for weeks. Pike remained in the center of the ballroom, surrounded by federal agents and increasingly skeptical local officers. The weight of Marcus'ss evidence hung in the air like smoke.
But Pike's face had shifted from panic to something darker, something calculating. Dalton stepped away from the group, pulling out her secure phone. I need to contact federal leadership immediately. This compromises multiple ongoing operations. She began dialing, but before the call could connect, her phone buzzed with an incoming alert.
Her face went pale as she read the screen. "Marcus," she called urgently. "We have a problem. " Every head in the room turned toward her. Marcus felt his stomach drop even before she spoke. Financial intelligence is reporting massive account movements across six target businesses.