Vance, regaining his false courage, sneered, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “Told you, bitch. You don’t own this town.”
Claire looked at the heavily armed men surrounding her. The air grew thick with the impending promise of violence. This was the moment of truth. She had known taking down the network wouldn’t happen peacefully in a courtroom; it had to be ripped out by the roots on the street. She had counted on Vance panicking and hitting the silent emergency button on his radio—the one that bypassed official dispatch and went directly to Miller’s burner phone.
Claire let out a slow, steady sigh and reached into her pocket. The deputies instantly raised their weapons, taking aim at her chest.
“Easy, boys,” she said, pulling out a small, black encrypted tactical radio. She brought it to her lips, never breaking eye contact with Miller. “He brought the cavalry. We are a go.”
Miller frowned, the cigar drooping in his mouth. “What the hell is—”
The night erupted.
From the dense, impenetrable pine forest lining the highway, a dozen high-intensity halogen spotlights snapped on simultaneously, instantly turning the midnight road into blinding broad daylight. The beams hit Miller and his men, forcing them to cry out and shield their eyes.
“FBI! DROP YOUR WEAPONS! GET ON THE GROUND!”
The command boomed from a tactical loudspeaker hidden in the treeline. Before Miller could even process the ambush, two massive, armored BearCat vehicles tore through the brush, crushing young trees and completely blocking both ends of the highway. Dozens of heavily armored FBI Hostage Rescue Team operatives poured out of the vehicles and the woods. Laser sights cut through the humid air, painting a dozen glowing red dots across the chests of Miller and his deputies.
It wasn’t a trap for Vance. It was a snare for the entire department.
Miller froze. His service weapon suddenly felt like a thousand-pound weight in his hand. He looked at the laser dots on his uniform, then up at the overwhelming tactical force descending upon him. The arrogance instantly drained from his eyes, replaced by the crushing, hollow realization of absolute defeat. He slowly opened his hand, letting his gun clatter onto the pavement.