Chapter 2 - The Weight of Steel
The metallic click of the handcuffs echoing in the narrow hallway felt like a gunshot to Clara’s ears. She lunged forward, her hands intercepting the male officer’s arm before he could pull Justin toward the open door.
"Take those off him right now!" Clara screamed, all maternal restraint shattering into raw fury. "He's a child! What kind of monster puts cuffs on a twelve-year-old boy?"
"Step back, Mrs. Hayes, or you'll be joining him in the back of the cruiser," the female officer warned, her hand resting firmly on the black holster at her hip. Her eyes were hard, devoid of any empathy. "Your son isn't just mowing lawns. He bypassed a military-grade firewall three days ago using a modified lawnmower battery."
Justin looked up at his mother, tears welling in his wide, innocent eyes. "Mom, I didn't mean to. The man on the phone said it was just a video game. He said if I fixed the code in the sprinklers, I'd win a new bike."
Clara froze, the blood draining from her face. A cold sweat broke out across her forehead. She remembered the strange packages arriving over the last month—components she thought were hobby electronics for his science fair.
"What man, Justin?" Clara asked, her voice cracking as she knelt to his eye level, ignoring the warning glare of the male officer. "Who are you talking about?"
"I don't know his name," Justin sobbed quietly, the heavy steel biting into his pale wrists. "He just called himself 'The Groundsman.' He told me to check the smart-irrigation systems on Maple Street because they were leaking classified data."
The two police officers exchanged a heavy, grim glance that confirmed Clara’s worst fears. This wasn't a local prank or a misunderstanding with a grumpy neighbor. Her son had unwittingly plugged himself directly into a high-stakes cyberespionage ring operating right beneath the suburban lawns.
"We're taking him downtown for questioning under federal protective custody," the male officer said, pulling Justin gently but firmly toward the screen door.
"No, you're not!" Clara shouted, grabbing her car keys from the hallway table. "I'm coming with you. Every single second."
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As the police cruiser pulled away from the curb, Clara stared out the rear window of her sedan and noticed a black unmarked van tailing them with its headlights off, watching their every move.
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