Chapter 12 - The Federal Deposition and the Unmasking of the Syndicate
Seventy-two hours later, the three of us sat in a quiet, sunlit conference room
on the twenty-fourth floor of the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States
Courthouse in downtown Chicago.
The room was quiet, save for the soft rustle of official legal documents and the
steam rising from three warm mugs of hot chocolate set out for Maya, who was
happily coloring in a sketchpad at the corner of the long mahogany table.
Sitting across from us was Assistant United States Attorney Eleanor
Vance—Julian’s estranged younger sister and the lead prosecutor for the
Department of Justice’s Special Crimes Division.
Eleanor placed a thick, sealed red folder on the table between us.
"Mr. and Mrs. Miller," Eleanor said, her voice rich with emotion, her eyes
carrying the same sharp intelligence that had defined her late brother. "I want
to show you this before the press conference."
She slid the folder open.
Inside were the official arrest warrants and forfeiture orders signed by the
Chief Judge of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
"Arthur Sterling and forty-two high-ranking executives of Vanguard Biometrics
and Ironclad Solutions were formally indicted this morning on charges of
domestic bio-terrorism, corporate espionage, attempted murder, and high
treason," Eleanor explained. "Julian’s files, combined with the master telemetry
you broadcasted from sub-level 4, gave us the smoking gun. There is no bail.
There will be no plea deal. Sterling will spend the remainder of his life in ADX
Florence supermax prison."
Sarah reached across the table and gently touched Eleanor’s hand. "Eleanor...
Julian died protecting my family. He was a hero."
Eleanor’s eyes welled with tears, but she smiled with deep, dignified gratitude.
"Julian spent his entire life trying to heal people, Sarah. When he realized
what Vanguard was doing, he told me that saving your life and protecting that
cure was the most important work he would ever do. Because of your family’s
courage, three thousand other individuals who were unknowingly exposed to
Vanguard’s experimental trials have been located and are receiving the
synthesized cure today."
Eleanor pulled three official blue passports and a set of real estate deeds from
her briefcase and slid them toward me.
"The Department of Justice’s Asset Forfeiture Program has finalized the
restitution package," Eleanor said. "The government has cleared all records
regarding your departure from the state. You are completely free, fully
exonerated, and the restitution grant will ensure that Maya’s education and your
family's future are secured for generations."
I looked down at the deeds.
It was a property in the rolling coastal hills of northern California—a
four-bedroom cedar home overlooking the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by redwood
forests and quiet ocean breezes.
May you like
"Thank you, Eleanor," I said, my voice thick with emotion.
Eleanor stood up and extended her hand to both of us. "No, David. Thank you. Now
go take your family home."
