Chapter 13 - The Brick Through the Window
The sound of shattering glass sent shockwaves through the tense room. Everyone dropped into defensive stances, ducking away from the broken window frame as shards of glass rained down onto the hardwood floor.
Marcus was the first to react. He vaulted over the oak drafting table, ignoring the scattered papers, and snatched up the heavy ceramic brick. Wrapped securely around it with thick rubber bands was a handwritten note scrawled on lined notebook paper.
"What does it say?" Agent Miller demanded, keeping her weapon drawn while scanning the jagged window opening that looked out onto the overgrown side alley.
Marcus unpeeled the rubber bands with trembling fingers and read the note aloud, his voice dropping into a harsh, dangerous whisper.
"The server wipe was just Act One. Drop the investigation or the next brick won't be a warning."
David hurried to the window, leaning out to scan the alleyway, but the narrow passage between the houses was completely empty. Only a swirling cloud of dust and the faint scent of burning rubber lingered in the morning air.
"Whoever threw this is still close," David said, pulling his head back inside. He looked at Agent Miller. "That wasn't done by an old man in cuffs. There's a second party involved in this conspiracy."
Agent Miller holstered her weapon, her analytical mind racing to connect the new variable. "Arthur, who else has the admin codes to the municipal server? Who else knew about the probate schedule?"
Arthur Gable, still slumped against the doorway in handcuffs, looked genuinely terrified as he stared at the broken window. The smug arrogance he had displayed moments earlier was completely gone. "I... I swear on my life, I don't know. The Henderson lawyer handles the digital filings. I never touched the mainframe!"
"He's telling the truth," Megan said softly, stepping away from the drafting table and looking down at the shattered glass. She ignored the suspicion still directed at her and focused entirely on the tactical reality of the threat. "Think about it. Arthur is old-school. He uses paper ledgers, forged signatures, and local phone calls. He doesn't know how to execute a remote server wipe. Someone younger, someone inside the municipal IT department, is running the tech side of this land grab."
David looked at Megan, his expression softening just a fraction as the logic of her words cut through the tension. "An internal leak at the city tech division."
"Exactly," Megan nodded, looking at Agent Miller. "And if my credentials were used to execute the override, it means someone at the precinct cloned my digital access card during yesterday morning's shift change."
Agent Miller stared at Megan for a long, agonizing moment, weighing the probability of her explanation against standard federal protocol. Slowly, the agent lowered her hand from her holster.
"If what you’re saying is true," Agent Miller said, her voice sharp and authoritative, "then your precinct has a systemic leak at the command level. And right now, you and Reyes are the only two local cops we can trust."
Before anyone could respond, Marcus stepped forward, holding the threatening note in his hand. His eyes weren't filled with fear anymore—they were burning with cold, absolute resolve.
"I don't care who threw the brick or who wiped the server," Marcus said, his voice ringing with quiet fury. "My grandfather’s farm isn't going to be stolen twice."
May you like
He turned toward the front door, but before he could take a step, the heavy oak front door of the house swung wide open with a violent crash.
---
