Chapter 28 - The Raid
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Detective Ortiz did not wait for the sun to rise. Armed with Dr. Aris’s sworn testimony, the decrypted Vanguard Holdings ledgers, and a federal warrant signed by a judge completely outside of Vance’s corrupt network, she mobilized a massive tactical unit.
Mara stood beside the mobile command center parked three blocks away from the Red Hook server facility. The rain had finally stopped, leaving a heavy, cold fog rolling off the dark water of the harbor.
"Breach in ten seconds," the tactical commander’s voice crackled over the radio.
Ortiz looked at Mara, her face illuminated by the glow of the monitors. "If Vance’s men try to scrub the servers remotely, our cyber team is ready to block the firewall. We are getting that data, Mara."
"Just secure the facility," Mara said, her hands tightly clasped in her coat pockets. "The location of Sarah's son is in those drives."
"Execute," the commander ordered.
Over the radio, a series of heavy, concussive thuds echoed as the tactical teams blew the reinforced steel doors of the maritime building. Flashbangs illuminated the alley in bright, stroboscopic bursts. Shouts of "Federal agents, drop your weapons!" filled the comms.
Vance’s private security contractors, accustomed to intimidating civilians and terrified mothers, immediately surrendered when faced with overwhelming federal force. There was no prolonged firefight. The illusion of absolute power always shattered the moment it met true consequence.
"Main floor secure," a voice reported. "Moving to the subterranean server room."
Mara held her breath.
"Target secured," the lead agent finally announced. "The servers are intact. The tech team is plugging in now."
Ortiz let out a loud, triumphant breath and slapped the side of the van. She grabbed the radio. "Tech team, this is Ortiz. Search the active database for the current housing location of a minor named Leo Jenkins. Priority one."
A tense minute passed. The fog seemed to thicken around them.
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"Ortiz, we have a hit," the tech reported. "Leo Jenkins is being held at a private, unlisted psychiatric care facility in upstate Connecticut. The address is 445 Willow Creek Drive. He is scheduled to be moved to an international airstrip in three hours."
Mara didn't hesitate. She looked at Ortiz. "Let's go get him."
