Taken from a distance.
Daniel stared.
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“Where?”
“Outside your house.”
Daniel's expression became cold.
Sarah lowered her voice.
“They know where you live.”
Daniel looked at the photograph.
Then he smiled.
“Good.”
Sarah frowned.
“Good?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because now they're watching the wrong man.”
Daniel pulled another photograph from his folder.
It showed an empty house.
“I'm moving.”
Sarah looked confused.
“Where?”
Daniel smiled.
“Somewhere they won't expect.”
CHAPTER 5 — THE TRAP
The next operation began at 6:00 a.m.
Daniel deliberately allowed information to leak.
A fake report was created.
It claimed Internal Affairs had recovered $400,000 in cash from a corrupt contractor.
The money would supposedly be transported that night.
Only four people received the information.
Daniel.
Sarah.
Grant.
And one federal investigator.
By midnight, the leak responded.
A black SUV appeared near the supposed transfer location.
Then another.
Daniel watched from an unmarked vehicle.
Sarah sat beside him.
“Three vehicles.”
Daniel nodded.
“Wait.”
Two officers stepped out.
Then four more.
Grant arrived last.
Daniel watched him approach the fake evidence vehicle.
Grant opened the trunk.
Inside were six black cases.
He opened one.
Bundles of cash were visible.
He smiled.
Daniel whispered:
“Now.”
Federal agents surrounded the area.
“POLICE! HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM!”
Chaos erupted.
Grant froze.
One officer reached for his weapon.
He was immediately tackled.
Another ran.
He made it twelve feet.
Then fell into the arms of a waiting agent.
Grant stood motionless.
Daniel walked toward him.
Grant stared.
“You.”
Daniel smiled.
“Me.”
Grant looked around.
“You don't understand.”
“I understand enough.”
Grant lowered his voice.
“You think Hale will let this happen?”
Daniel stopped.
“Hale isn't here.”
“He doesn't need to be.”
Grant smiled.
“You're already dead.”
Daniel's expression didn't change.
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“You are.”
Grant was arrested.
But Martin Hale never appeared.
His phone was found destroyed.
His office had been emptied.
His house was abandoned.
His bank accounts were frozen.
But he was gone.
Daniel looked at the empty office.
Sarah entered.
“We found something.”
She handed him a hard drive.
“It was hidden behind a wall panel.”
Daniel connected it.
Folders appeared.
Police officers.
Judges.
Contractors.
Politicians.
Payments.
Photographs.
Audio recordings.
Daniel stared.
“This is bigger than we thought.”
Sarah nodded.
“Much bigger.”
Then a folder appeared.
Its name was simple:
MERCER.
Daniel froze.
Sarah looked at him.
“What is that?”
Daniel opened it.
Inside were photographs of him.
His family.
His apartment.
His car.
His previous assignments.
Everything.