Chapter 9 - The Fall of the Vance Dynasty
The sun rose over Charlotte the next morning through a sky washed clean of clouds by the autumn rain.
In the federal building on West Trade Street, the corridors were swarming with prosecutors, military investigators, and agents from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
I sat in a private consultation room with Katherine, Sarah Vance-Montgomery, and two senior prosecutors from the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section.
Katherine sat wrapped in my heavy service trench coat, drinking hot black tea from a paper cup. Her color had begun to return; her eyes, though exhausted, were clear and sharp.
On the table between us lay three heavy stacks of documents: the seized hard drives from Vance Global’s corporate headquarters, the sworn confession of Dr. A. Geller—who had folded within thirty minutes of being booked into the Mecklenburg County Jail—and the complete forensic logs extracted from Katherine’s micro-SD card.
“Julian’s bail was denied two hours ago,” Sarah Vance-Montgomery said, setting down her pen. Her face showed the deep strain of taking down her own family, but there was no hesitation in her eyes. “The magistrate ruled him an extreme flight risk and an active danger to the community after the shooting incident at the hotel.”
“And Richard?” I asked.
“My brother is currently being held at the federal detention center in Butner,” Sarah replied. “The SEC froze forty-two separate corporate accounts at 06:00. The Department of Defense has initiated immediate suspension and debarment proceedings against Vance Global Logistics and all its subsidiaries. The military contracts in Jordan, Kuwait, and Fort Liberty have been terminated for default.”
She leaned across the table and placed her hand over Katherine’s.
“Katherine, you won't ever have to set foot in their house again. The court has issued a permanent protective order. The divorce petition has already been filed on grounds of domestic violence and felony conduct, and our office is moving to seize the Vance family estate under federal civil forfeiture statutes. The house where Julian hurt you will belong to the United States Marshals by Friday afternoon.”
Katherine looked down at her tea, a single tear cutting through the faint bruise on her cheek. “I thought nobody would believe me. Julian told me that their name was law in this state.”
“Their name was an illusion,” I told her. “Built on dirty money, forged signatures, and the silence of people who were too frightened to speak up. But an illusion doesn't hold up against the truth, Katie. It never does.”
The door opened, and Hector Miller stepped inside. He had changed out of his dress blues into clean civilian khakis, though his posture remained as rigid as an artillery piece.
“Colonel,” Hector said, snapping a crisp salute despite the civilian setting.
“At ease, Hector,” I said with a faint smile. “What’s the word from Liberty?”
“General Morrison called from division headquarters ten minutes ago,” Hector said. “The Pentagon has initiated an internal inquiry into the civilian deputy in procurement who was taking kickbacks from Vance. He was arrested at his home in Arlington this morning by the Army Criminal Investigation Division. The General sends his personal regards, ma’am. He said your retirement paperwork has been put on hold until you decide whether you want to take over the sustainment brigade at Fort Bragg next spring.”
I looked at my right shoulder. The torn fabric of my tunic had been temporarily stitched by an emergency room doctor, but the scar on my skin beneath it would remain for the rest of my life.
I looked at Katherine.
She looked back at me, her fingers tightening around my hand with the same warmth she had when she was seven years old, running across the parade ground to meet me after my first deployment.
May you like
“Tell the General,” I said softly, “that Eleanor Reynolds has finished her tour.”
***
