Chapter 5 - Behind Iron Bars
The holding cell at the federal penitentiary smelled of disinfectant,
cold concrete,
and stale air.
Daniel sat on the edge of the narrow metal bunk,
his wrists still bearing the red marks of the tight steel cuffs.
For the first time in his life,
he wore an orange jumpsuit instead of a custom tailored Italian suit.
The heavy steel door swung open with a loud mechanical clank,
revealing a sharp-suited defense attorney named Julian Vance,
carrying a thick leather briefcase.
Julian sat down at the small steel table,
adjusting his glasses nervously before looking up at Daniel.
"Mr.
Carter,
we have a catastrophic situation,"
Julian began,
opening his files.
"The prosecution has submitted over five hundred pages of irrefutable financial evidence."
Daniel stared coldly at the attorney,
his voice completely devoid of emotion.
"Who gave them the files,
Julian?"
The attorney swallowed hard,
avoiding direct eye contact.
"According to the preliminary court disclosures,
the primary informant and legal architect behind the entire indictment is...
Mrs.
Claire Carter."
Daniel let out a low,
dark chuckle that echoed off the concrete walls.
"She didn't just walk out,"
Daniel murmured to himself,
realizing the depth of her planning.
"She built a fortress of evidence over six years."
Julian nodded grimly,
turning another page in his dossier.
"That is not all,
boss.
The federal judge has denied bail,
citing extreme flight risk and the severity of the charges."
Daniel leaned forward,
resting his elbows on his knees,
his piercing gaze fixed on the lawyer.
"Find her,"
Daniel ordered quietly.
"Find where she is living,
find out if the baby has been born,
and report back to me immediately."
Julian shook his head slowly,
closing his briefcase with a heavy snap.
"It is impossible,
Mr.
Carter.
Her legal team has secured a federal witness protection order under a classified seal.
Even the judge does not know her exact location."
Daniel clenched his jaw,
the fury inside him burning hotter than ever before.
He was locked inside a concrete cage,
completely isolated from the outside world,
yet he knew this was only the beginning of the end.
Claire thought she had won,
thought she had successfully erased him from her life,
May you like
but she had forgotten one fundamental rule of the underworld.
A beast is never more dangerous than when it is caged.
