Chapter 7 The Traitor Wore an FBI Badge
Chapter 7
The Traitor Wore an FBI Badge
No one spoke.
The secure evidence vault, moments earlier filled with the sound of boots and shouted commands, had fallen completely silent.
On the monitor, the message remained.
PLAY ME BEFORE YOU TRUST THE FBI.
Detective Laura Bennett looked at the FBI agents standing beside her.
Neither of them moved.
Neither reached for the keyboard.
Eleanor noticed something strange.
Everyone seemed to be waiting for someone else to make the first move.
Finally, Bennett turned to the evidence technician.
"Disconnect this computer from every network."
"It already is."
"Good."
She nodded.
"Play it."
The technician clicked the file.
Static filled the speakers.
For several seconds, the screen remained black.
Then a dimly lit warehouse appeared.
The footage was shaky, as though someone had hidden a tiny camera inside a jacket pocket.
Three men stood around a large steel table.
One was Richard Ashcroft.
The second was an older man Eleanor had never seen before.
The third...
Wore an FBI windbreaker.
Every person in the vault froze.
The man's face wasn't visible.
Only his back.
His voice echoed through the speakers.
"The investigation must stay inside Napa."
Richard nodded.
"The local sheriff is already overwhelmed."
The FBI agent continued.
"As long as Washington never gets involved..."
"...The Circle remains invisible."
Daniel whispered,
"Oh my God."
Claire grabbed Eleanor's hand.
The video continued.
The older man slid a thick envelope across the table.
"Payment."
The FBI agent picked it up without hesitation.
"Your witness?"
Richard answered coldly.
"He won't testify."
"Good."
"What about the engineer?"
Richard looked directly toward the hidden camera for a split second.
"We'll handle him."
Eleanor's breathing stopped.
Her father.
They were talking about her father.
The screen suddenly froze.
A timestamp appeared.
Eight years earlier.
Detective Bennett folded her arms.
"This proves someone inside the FBI accepted bribes."
The cyber specialist shook his head.
"Not necessarily."
"What do you mean?"
"The man's face never appears."
"It could be anyone wearing that jacket."
Bennett looked unconvinced.
"So you're saying it's fake?"
"I'm saying someone wanted us to believe exactly one thing."
Before anyone could continue—
The laboratory door burst open.
Another FBI team entered.
Leading them was Special Agent Marcus Reed.
Tall.
Silver hair.
Calm eyes.
Perfectly pressed suit.
His badge remained visible on his belt.
"I'm taking custody of all Harbor Point evidence."
Detective Bennett didn't move.
"Under whose authority?"
Reed handed her official paperwork.
"Federal jurisdiction."
She scanned the documents.
Everything appeared legitimate.
The warrant.
The signatures.
The court authorization.
Still...
Something felt wrong.
Eleanor watched Reed carefully.
He never once looked at the evidence.
Instead...
His eyes immediately found the flash drive.
Only for a second.
But it was enough.
Eleanor noticed.
So did Claire.
Claire leaned toward Eleanor.
"He knows."
"What?"
"Exactly what he's here for."
Reed turned politely toward Eleanor.
"Mrs. Hart."
"I'm sorry for what happened tonight."
"We'll make sure everyone responsible is prosecuted."
His smile was reassuring.
Professional.
Almost too perfect.
Then he extended his hand.
"I'll take the flash drive."
Eleanor didn't move.
"It's evidence."
"Exactly."
"It belongs in federal custody."
Detective Bennett stepped between them.
"It hasn't been transferred yet."
Reed's expression never changed.
"It has now."
He handed her another document.
Everything appeared in order.
The sheriff's deputies exchanged uncertain glances.
Legally...
Reed was correct.
Claire suddenly whispered,
"Ask him."
Eleanor frowned.
"What?"
"Ask him where Harbor Point Building Seven is."
Eleanor didn't understand.
But she trusted Claire.
She looked directly at Agent Reed.
"If you're leading this investigation..."
"...where is Building Seven?"
The room became silent.
For the first time...
Marcus Reed hesitated.
Barely half a second.
But Eleanor saw it.
Then he smiled.
"North side of the development."
Claire slowly closed her eyes.
Daniel looked horrified.
Detective Bennett immediately noticed.
"What?"
Claire spoke softly.
"There is no north side."
Everyone looked at her.
"The harbor is north."
"Building Seven was built on the eastern waterfront."
Reed's smile disappeared.
Only for an instant.
Then it returned.
"I misspoke."
Claire shook her head.
"No."
"You guessed."
"You've never seen Harbor Point."
"You've never read the files."
"So how did you know Building Seven existed?"
The vault became completely still.
Every deputy instinctively rested a hand on their holster.
Reed looked around calmly.
Then laughed.
"I was testing all of you."
Nobody laughed with him.
Detective Bennett slowly folded the warrant.
"I'm going to verify this with Washington."
Reed's pleasant expression hardened.
"That's unnecessary."
"I disagree."
She reached for her phone.
Reed's voice became colder.
"Detective..."
"...I wouldn't do that."
Bennett stopped dialing.
"Is that a threat?"
"No."
"It's advice."
At that exact moment...
One of the deputies entered at a run.
"Detective!"
"We have a problem."
"What happened?"
"The judge whose signature is on that federal warrant..."
He swallowed.
"...died three days ago."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Every eye turned toward Marcus Reed.
The warrant was fake.
Reed sighed quietly.
He slowly removed his FBI credentials from his belt.
Placed them carefully on the evidence table.
Then looked directly at Eleanor.
"You should have given me the drive."
Before anyone could react—
The lights exploded.
Glass showered across the room.
Smoke grenades rolled across the floor.
The vault disappeared beneath thick gray smoke.
Gunshots echoed from outside.
Someone shouted.
"Protect the evidence!"
Another voice yelled,
"He's not alone!"
Through the smoke, Eleanor saw three masked figures rushing into the vault.
And all of them...
May you like
Were heading straight toward her.
End of Chapter 7
