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00:00I am a five-star general, secretly decorated by the President of the United States.
00:04And my only grandson had just been beaten into the ICU by a trust fund brat.
00:08When I arrived at the hospital, the attacker's family actually tried to shut me up with money.
00:12So I reached into the inner pocket of my overcoat and drew out a military-grade encrypted satellite phone.
00:17I dialed a number that had gathered dust for years.
00:19Who is this? McRain.
00:21I said only one word. The line went dead silent.
00:24A full five seconds passed before a voice came through,
00:26trembling with shock, dread, and perhaps even a flicker of awe.
00:30General. General McRae?
00:32Robert Harlan, special agent in charge of the FBI's San Diego field office,
00:37the highest-ranking federal law enforcement official in the city.
00:40His voice sounded as though it had been squeezed from the back of his throat, shaking with disbelief.
00:45I'm at Naval Medical Center. My grandson, Ryan, is in the ICU.
00:50Harlan's mind went blank.
00:51The general's grandson, in an ICU in San Diego,
00:55a wave of cold sweat instantly was soaked through the back of his shirt.
00:58He didn't even dare ask what had happened.
01:00He knew that if the general had personally dialed his phone,
01:02the situation had already escalated beyond anything he could imagine.
01:06I'm on my way.
01:07Harlan grabbed his coat and burst out of his office.
01:12Martinez!
01:14Notify every on-duty supervisory agent.
01:16Assembly at Naval Medical Center in 30 minutes.
01:19Initiate Priority One!
01:20Everyone in the office froze, stunned by the sudden order.
01:24Priority One.
01:24That protocol was reserved exclusively for terrorist attacks or major federal cases.
01:29What on earth happened?
01:32Just one hour earlier, my son Patrick had been pacing frantically outside the ICU at Naval Medical Center.
01:37When I arrived, he rushed over to me as though he'd finally found solid ground to stand on.
01:41Dad, how did you get here so fast?
01:44Where's Ryan?
01:45Still in there.
01:46The doctors say it's bad.
01:49Blunt force trauma to the head, three broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, internal bleeding, and multiple organs.
01:54My heart sank like a stone.
01:55I turned my gaze toward a cluster of young men loitering at the far end of the corridor.
01:59The one in front, a blonde kid, was leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone.
02:04His buddies flanked him, smirking and horsing around as though this weren't the entrance to an ICU,
02:08but the hallway of some nightclub.
02:10They're the ones who did it.
02:11The ringleader's name is Chad Prescott.
02:13His father is Wayne Prescott, CEO of Prescott Development Group, the biggest military base contractor on the West Coast.
02:20What about the police?
02:22It came, took a report, said it was mutual combat, both parties sustained injuries, and recommended we settle it civilly.
02:29Then they left.
02:30Settle?
02:31My grandson is fighting for his life in the ICU.
02:34That kid over there has nothing but a cast on his leg, and they call that both parties sustained injuries?
02:42At that moment, a middle-aged man in an immaculate suit strolled down the corridor,
02:47trailed by someone carrying a briefcase who had a lawyer written all over him.
02:50It was Wayne Prescott himself.
02:51It must be Ryan's family.
02:53These things happen.
02:55Young men run hot, fists fly, nobody means for it to go this far.
02:58He took an envelope from the lawyer's hand and held it out.
03:01There's a check inside for $500,000, more than enough to cover all medical expenses and rehabilitation.
03:06Sign a non-disclosure agreement.
03:08We each take a step back and we'll put this whole thing behind us.
03:11Patrick was shaking with rage, about to lunge forward.
03:14I extended my arm and stopped him.
03:16Not enough.
03:17Not enough?
03:18Half a million is generous.
03:20Push this any further and it won't end well for either of us.
03:23Besides, my son was injured too.
03:25Take this to court and it's anyone's guess who comes out on top.
03:28In this city, the name Prescott still carries a certain weight.
03:32I saw no point in continuing the conversation.
03:35I turned away, walked to a quiet corner, and dialed the number that had gathered dust for years.
03:40Wayne Prescott watched me make a phone call and then simply stand there.
03:42The contempt on his face deepened.
03:44What's this old fossil gonna do?
03:46Call someone who matters?
03:48He turned back to his son.
03:51Relax.
03:52We'll get you the best doctors.
03:53You'll be walking again in a month.
03:55Dad, that old bastard doesn't know what's good for him.
03:58Turning down our money.
03:59Chad Prescott shoved his phone into his pocket, his face radiating arrogance.
04:03If you ask me, his grandson should just die in there.
04:07Then we'll see how tough he acts.
04:09Shut up.
04:09This is a hospital.
04:11Watch your mouth.
04:11Wayne Prescott said the words, but in his heart, he felt exactly the same way.
04:16A powerless, retired old man daring to stand up to the Prescott family?
04:20Laughable.
04:20That was when sirens, urgent, piercing, and relentless, erupted in the distance and came screaming toward them, tearing through the
04:27quiet San Diego evening like a blade.
04:29The sound grew louder, closer, until it seemed to shriek to a halt directly below Naval Medical Center.
04:34Patients and visitors throughout the hospital rushed to the windows.
04:37Outside, seven or eight black Chevrolet Suburbans and several vehicles emblazoned with FBI in bold white letters converged on the
04:44hospital from every direction.
04:45Red and blue light bars blazing, sealing off the main entrance completely.
04:50Doors flew open.
04:51Agents in dark blue tactical vests stamped with FBI front and back leapt out, armed to the teeth, and immediately
04:57began stringing up yellow crime scene tape around the entrance.
04:59Then a black Lincoln Town car glided to a stop at the front of the convoy.
05:03Broad-shouldered man with silver-streaked temples.
05:06Stepped out and strode into the building without breaking.
05:09Stride.
05:09Robert Harlan, special agent in charge of the FBI San Diego field office.
05:13Which floor is Ryan McCravey on?
05:15The third floor.
05:16I see you.
05:18Harlan led a phalanx of FBI agents toward the elevators.
05:21By now, Wayne and Chad Prescott had heard the commotion.
05:24Wayne frowned, a faint unease gnawing at his gut.
05:26FBI?
05:27What the hell warrants this kind of response?
05:30The elevator doors opened.
05:32Harlan and six or seven.
05:33Agents stepped out and moved, swiftly down the corridor.
05:36His eyes swept the hallway.
05:37In the instant they locked, onto the solitary figure, standing in the corner.
05:41Still an immovable ass.
05:42Bedrock, every trace of authority and swagger, drained from his face.
05:46Harlan walked over.
05:46Two steps away, his feet stopped as though they hit a wall.
05:49He straightened his back instinctively, reached out with both hands, and clasped mine tightly.
05:53General.
05:54The word detonated like thunder in the dead silent corridor.
05:58That single word, asterisk, general asterisk, froze every face in Harlan.
06:02Patrick was dumpstruck.
06:03He knew his father had been in the military.
06:05Knew the rank had been substantial.
06:06But never in his wildest dreams had he imagined the FBI's top official in San Diego would look
06:11at his father with something close to reverence.
06:13Wayne and Chad Prescott went white as sheets.
06:15The SAC.
06:16Robert Harlan.
06:17The man whose very name made every criminal and power broker in San Diego.
06:21I just called that old man general.
06:23The smirk on Chad Prescott's face shattered.
06:25His iPhone slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor.
06:28For the first time, it dawned on him that he might have provoked someone with an unimaginable consequence.
06:33Wayne Prescott's complexion turned.
06:34The color of ash.
06:35He remembered the patronizing look on his own face moments ago.
06:38He remembered the casual disdain with which he'd held out that check.
06:41He remembered every word he'd said.
06:43Cold sweat drenched his shirt in an instant.
06:45His legs began to tremble uncontrollably.
06:47I did not acknowledge Harlan's greeting.
06:49I did not even glance at him.
06:50My eyes remained fixed on the sealed double doors of the ICU.
06:53My grandson is in there.
06:55My voice barely above a murmur.
06:57Yet it struck Harlan like a sledgehammer to the chest.
06:59He spun around, his gaze cutting toward Wayne and Chad Prescott like a drawn blade.
07:03They're the ones who did this.
07:04Wayne Prescott felt a column of ice shoot up from the soles of his feet to the crown of his
07:09skull.
07:09His mind went utterly blank.
07:11Beside him, Chad's face had turned to sickly green, his lips quivering, unable to produce a single syllable.
07:17Mr. Harlan, Agent Harlan, this is a misunderstanding.
07:21It's all a misunderstanding.
07:24A misunderstanding.
07:26Harlan's voice dropped to a lethal register.
07:29The general's grandson is lying in the ICU, life hanging in the balance.
07:33And you're telling me it's a misunderstanding?
07:35He took another step forward.
07:36The sheer force of his presence bored down on Wayne Prescott until the man could barely breathe.
07:43I'll ask you one more time.
07:45Did your people do this?
07:47Yes or no?
07:50Wayne Prescott's knees buckled.
07:52He collapsed onto the floor.
07:53In his wildest nightmares, he never could have fathomed that nobody his son who had casually beaten up was connected
07:59to someone like this.
08:00General.
08:00What kind of man earns that title from someone like Robert Harlan and draws that kind of expression?
08:04It was my son.
08:06He was my son.
08:07He was reckless.
08:08Agent Harlan.
08:10Just give us a chance to make this right.
08:12Harlan didn't so much as look at him.
08:13He turned on his heel and addressed the supervisory agent behind him.
08:16All suspects, take them back to the field office.
08:19Separate holding, separate interrogations.
08:21Contact the U.S. Attorney's Office.
08:22I want federal charges.
08:23Collect every piece of evidence.
08:25Pull all surveillance footage.
08:27Hospital and surrounding area.
08:28Get a warrant.
08:29I don't care how you do it.
08:30Three hours.
08:31I want a complete case file on my desk, accurate to the second.
08:35Yes, sir.
08:36The supervisory agent pivoted.
08:38With a sweep of his arm, several FBI agents moved in and slapped handcuffs on Chad Prescott
08:42and everyone his friends before any of them could process what was happening.
08:48Chad still had a cast on his leg.
08:49When an agent hauled him out of his chair, he howled in pain.
08:52Dad!
08:52Help me, Dad!
08:53Wayne Prescott lurched forward but was blocked cold by an agent's outstretched arm.
08:57Watching his son dragged away in handcuffs.
08:59Watching the empire he'd spent a lifetime building begin to crack at the foundations.
09:03Wayne Prescott's last psychological defense, finally crumbled.
09:05He threw himself at my feet, scrambling on all fours.
09:08Sir, General, I'm sorry.
09:09Please spare my son.
09:11He's young.
09:12He didn't know what he was doing.
09:14I lowered my gaze and regarded him the way one might regard an insect.
09:18When your son was beating my grandson, did it ever occur to him that my grandson is also young?
09:24The words lodged every sob and plea in Wayne Prescott's throat.
09:28He collapsed in despair on the cold hospital floor.
09:31He knew.
09:31This time, no one could save them.
09:33Once those people had been dealt with, Harlan approached me again.
09:36Carefully, almost deferentially, his posture as low as it could go.
09:39General, this happened on my watch in my city.
09:42You and your family were subjected to this.
09:44That is my failure.
09:46His voice was heavy with guilt.
09:47You have my word.
09:48I will see to it personally that this is made right.
09:50Patrick stood to the side, utterly speechless.
09:53A mid-level civil servant in county government.
09:55A man who spent his days tiptoeing around superiors, reading every room, watching every
10:00word.
10:01When had he ever witnessed anything like this?
10:03The most powerful federal law enforcement officer in San Diego, standing before his father
10:07with the deference of a raw recruit on his first day.
10:09I said nothing.
10:10I simply raised my hand and made a small gesture.
10:13Asterisk come closer, star.
10:14Harlan understood it once.
10:15He leaned in.
10:16What I want has never been one man's accountability.
10:19I spoke a few sentences.
10:20As Harlan listened, the color drained from his face.
10:23General, that would implicate do as I say.
10:26I cut him off.
10:27My tone left no room for discussion.
10:29Harlan clenched his jaw, then gave a single hard nod.
10:32Yes, sir.
10:33Harlan turned and walked away at a brisk clip, pulling out his phone and dialing as he went.
10:37This is SAC Harlan.
10:39Connect me to the Washington, D.C. headquarters liaison center.
10:42When a line picked up, he dropped his voice low.
10:45Sir, initiate RICO protocol.
10:48Authorization code, Eagle 7, Bravo.
10:51Priority level, Alpha.
10:53Sir, please confirm.
10:55You are requesting activation of an Alpha-level RICO protocol?
10:58You heard me.
11:00Now.
11:02RICO, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act,
11:06was the federal justice system's ultimate weapon against organized crime.
11:09An Alpha-level activation meant the FBI would coordinate with the IRS, the DEA,
11:15FinCEN, the U.S. Marshal Service,
11:17and every other relevant federal agency to conduct a full-spectrum takedown of the target.
11:22I intended to use my grandson's beating as the thread,
11:26would unravel every piece of buried filth in San Diego.
11:31Every criminal network.
11:33Every protective umbrella.
11:36Every link in the chain.
11:39Just then, my encrypted satellite phone rang.
11:42An unfamiliar number.
11:44The voice on the other end was measured.
11:48Who is this?
11:52Am I speaking with Mr. McCrane?
11:56My name is Brett Prescott.
11:57I'm Wayne Prescott's brother.
11:59I'm a United States Senator,
12:01a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
12:04I believe we can discuss this like gentlemen.
12:06Before he could finish, I hung up.
12:08Then I dialed another number.
12:09This one was shorter than Harlan's.
12:11And far more consequential.
12:14A voice came through the line.
12:15Powerful, full of iron and gunpowder.
12:18I'll be damned.
12:19Iron bone.
12:20What drags you out of retirement?
12:22I heard that familiar voice and felt the ice behind my eyes thaw.
12:25Just barely.
12:26Before a deeper cold replaced it.
12:28Bull, my grandson's been beaten into the ICU in San Diego.
12:32Who the fuck is responsible for this?
12:35William Bull Brennan.
12:36Commander, United States Indo-Pacific Command.
12:39Four-star Admiral.
12:40A man I have forged with my own hands.
12:4230 years ago in the Persian Gulf,
12:44he'd been a young lieutenant.
12:44During a routine patrol,
12:47his Humvee took an RPG and burst into flames.
12:51I ran through a hail of gunfire,
12:53dragged him from the burning wreckage,
12:54and carried him on my back for two kilometers across open desert
12:57to a medevac landing zone.
13:00Who the hell did this?
13:02Give me a name, Jim.
13:04Give me a goddamn name.
13:06I will bury them so deep they'll need a submarine
13:09to find their own grave.
13:11Brennan's roar nearly blew out the speaker.
13:13Stand down, bull.
13:15That's not why I called.
13:17Just say the word, sir.
13:18What do you need?
13:19Prescott Development Group.
13:20A real estate outfit out of San Diego.
13:22They've held contracts on military-based construction projects.
13:25My grandson is still in the ICU.
13:26I don't know if he's going to make it.
13:28I don't want to see them still open for business tomorrow.
13:30I spoke slowly, but every word landed like a bolt in Brennan's ear.
13:34Brennan understood instantly.
13:35I didn't want their money.
13:36I didn't want their blood.
13:37I wanted annihilation.
13:38I wanted the Prescott family,
13:39who had no concept of the forces they provoked,
13:41to plummet from heaven to hell in a single day.
13:43I wanted the business empire.
13:44They were so proud of the crumble,
13:46like paper, in the face of absolute power.
13:49Understood, General.
13:51You'll have my answer before sunrise.
13:52After hanging up,
13:55Brennan strode back into Indo-Pacific Command's Joint Operations Center,
13:58his face dark as a thunderhead.
14:00The flag officers seated around the room
14:02exchanged uneasy glances the moment they saw his expression.
14:06Brennan walked to the command console
14:07and swept the room with a gaze cold enough to freeze steel.
14:10Contact the Inspector General's office.
14:12Notify DCA, the Defense Contract Audi Agency.
14:14Initiate the highest level national security review
14:16on every Department of Defense-related project
14:18built by Prescott Development Group.
14:19All projects currently under construction
14:21are to be frozen immediately.
14:22His voice wasn't loud,
14:23but every word drove into the ears of everyone present like a nail.
14:26All pending payments are to be suspended immediately.
14:28All Prescott personnel holding military base access credulees.
14:31Security clearances revoked.
14:33Effective now.
14:33Place the company on the DOB debarment list.
14:35He paused, then added one final order.
14:37Contact the NCIS director.
14:39I want a protective detail at Naval Medical Center San Diego
14:41within two hours.
14:42Each command was a scalpel, precise, merciless,
14:45slicing straight through the arteries of Prescott Development Group.
14:48The flag officers in the room were stunned.
14:50A national security review combined with DOD debarment.
14:52This was the most severe sanction
14:54that could be levied against a defense contractor.
14:56Once initiated, it was, for all practical purposes,
14:59a commercial death sentence.
15:00In the entire history of the United States,
15:02no company placed on the debarment list had ever recovered.
15:05What kind of company could provoke Bull Brennan
15:07into issuing orders of this magnitude?
15:10Admiral, with all due respect,
15:11Prescott is one of the largest defense crap-triggers
15:13on the West Coast
15:14and a preferred vendor of the DOEP.
15:15If we sever ties without due process,
15:17the congressional blowback alone...
15:19Did I stutter, Captain?
15:20Execute the order.
15:20Brennan whipped around,
15:22his eyes razor-sharp as a hawk's.
15:24A chill ran through every person in the room.
15:26No one dared utter another word of dissent.
15:29Meanwhile, in San Diego,
15:30an invisible storm was gathering.
15:32Inside the FBI field office's holding room,
15:34Wayne Prescott was frantically working
15:36every connection he had.
15:37Outside, his brother Brett was burning through his phone,
15:40dialing number after number.
15:41But to their horror,
15:42every line had gone dead.
15:43The politicians who had attended their fundraising gallows,
15:46played golf at their country club,
15:47happily accepted their campaign donations.
15:49Every last one of them
15:50either sent calls straight to voicemail,
15:52fired back an icy text breach
15:54in a meeting, can't talk,
15:56or had blocked the Prescott's numbers outright.
15:58The law firm they retained for years
15:59suddenly claimed a conflict of interest
16:01and refused to continue representation.
16:03San Diego's entire power network had,
16:05in the span of a single night,
16:07slammed every door shut on the Prescott's.
16:09Brett was far sharper than his brother.
16:11He understood immediately
16:12they hadn't merely crossed the wrong person.
16:14They had kicked a hornet's nest
16:15the size of the Pentagon.
16:17Wayne, you need to tell me the truth.
16:18Who the hell is that old man?
16:19I don't know.
16:20He didn't say a word.
16:21Made one phone call,
16:23and this is what happened.
16:24One phone call, Brett.
16:25Just one goddamn phone call.
16:27At that moment,
16:27Brett's phone rang.
16:28It was Prescott Development Group's CFO.
16:30Senator Prescott,
16:31we have a catastrophic situation.
16:33Every single one of the company's bank accounts
16:35has been frozen.
16:36FinCon issued a suspicious activity report.
16:38All banks cut our credit lines.
16:40IRS showed up with a search warrant.
16:42OSAA has shut down
16:43all of our construction sites.
16:44The SEC sent a subpoena
16:45demanding 10 years of financial records.
16:47And worst of all,
16:48DCA seized every military contract document.
16:50Federal agents have locked down
16:52corporate headquarters.
16:53No one in,
16:53no one out.
16:54The CFO's voice was cracking.
16:56Each piece of bad news detonated like a bomb,
16:58leaving Brett dizzy and reeling.
17:00DOD debarment.
17:01Brett understood the weight
17:02of those two words better than anyone.
17:05It seemed firsthand
17:06what happened to companies
17:07placed on the debarment list.
17:08Stock price cratered to zero.
17:09Banks pulled all credit.
17:11Business partners severed ties overnight,
17:13and executives were indicted
17:14by federal prosecutors.
17:15No company had ever come back
17:17from the debarment list.
17:18Not one.
17:18Brett lowered his phone.
17:19Every ounce of strength drained from his body
17:21and collapsed into his chair.
17:22It's over.
17:23It's truly, completely over.
17:25And all of this was only the beginning.
17:27Below Naval Medical Center,
17:28a low, heavy rumble of engines
17:30suddenly filled the air.
17:31Everyone instinctively turned
17:33toward the windows.
17:34Several dark gray Chevrolet Suburbans,
17:36windows tinted black,
17:38devoid of any markings,
17:39rolled up in a tight convoy
17:41and halted at the FBI perimeter.
17:42The lead man flashed federal credentials,
17:44and the cordon was open without a word.
17:46The convoy glided to a stop
17:48in front of the main building.
17:49Doors swung open.
17:49A team of men stepped out
17:50at a brisk pace,
17:52clad in dark tactical gear,
17:53gold federal badges on their chests,
17:55and armbands bearing a single,
17:56unmistakable word,
17:58NCIS.
17:58They acknowledged no one.
18:00They walked straight inside
18:01and cleared the entire ICU floor
18:03in 90 seconds,
18:04checking exits,
18:05stairwells,
18:06elevator banks.
18:07Within minutes,
18:08the ICU wing
18:08was under full federal
18:10protective lockdown.
18:10In the corridor,
18:11the SDPD officers
18:12and FBI agents
18:14already posted
18:14their instinctively step back
18:16when these men appeared.
18:17These operators
18:17carried themselves differently.
18:19The way their eyes moved,
18:20the way they walked,
18:21the unconscious tactical posture
18:23they maintained
18:23even while standing still.
18:25Anyone who had spent time
18:26in the military
18:26could see it instantly.
18:28These were not
18:28ordinary federal agents.
18:30They were operators.
18:31Patrick watched them
18:31take up positions
18:32along the corridor
18:33like javelins
18:34driven into the floor,
18:35and his mind short-circuited
18:36once again.
18:37His father's first phone call
18:38had summoned the FBI.
18:39His father's second phone call
18:40had summoned a force
18:41capable of making
18:42the entire Pacific fleet tremble.
18:44This man,
18:45the man he had always assumed
18:46was just a retired veteran.
18:47Who the hell was his father?
18:49Doctor,
18:49how is my grandson?
18:51How is my son?
18:52Dr. Nathan Shun,
18:53chief of trauma surgery
18:54at Naval Medical Center San Diego,
18:56looked at the old man
18:56standing before him,
18:57then at the stone-faced
18:58NCIS agents
18:59lining the corridor
19:00and felt his own pulse quicken.
19:01He drew a deep breath
19:02and willed his voice
19:03to remain steady.
19:04General Mr. McGraden,
19:05you can breathe.
19:07After an all-out effort,
19:08Ryan's vitals have stabilized.
19:09All internal bleeding
19:10has been brought under control
19:12and the fractured ribs
19:13have been set.
19:13He's not completely
19:14out of the woods yet,
19:16but he's past the hardest part.
19:18Dr. Chin peeled off his gloves,
19:20exhaled slowly,
19:20and looked at me
19:21with a faint, weary smile.
19:23Your grandson is a fighter, General,
19:25just like his grandfather.
19:27At those words,
19:28the wire that had held
19:28Patrick together all night
19:30finally snapped.
19:30His legs gave out.
19:31He slid down the wall
19:32until he was sitting on the floor,
19:34pressed both hands
19:35against his face,
19:35and wept without a sound.
19:37My own ramrod straight spine swayed.
19:39Just barely, just once,
19:40and a fist I kept clenched
19:41for hours slowly,
19:42finally uncurled.
19:44Thank you, Doctor.
19:46It's my job, General,
19:47and it's an honor.
19:48When can we see him?
19:50He'll need 48 hours
19:51of observation in the ICU.
19:53Once he's fully stabilized,
19:54we'll transfer him
19:55to the step-down unit.
19:56At that point,
19:57family members can visit
19:58during desictated hours
19:59on a rotating basis.
20:00If needed,
20:01we can arrange
20:02for one family member
20:03to stay overnight.
20:04I gave a single nod
20:05and said nothing more.
20:06I walked to the ICU observation window
20:08and stood there,
20:09gazing through the thick glass
20:10of the young figure
20:11lying in the bed,
20:12tubes and monitor leads
20:13running from every part of his body.
20:14That boy was the last bloodline
20:16of the McGrane family,
20:17the final branch
20:18on a tree
20:18that war had hacked down,
20:20generation after generation.
20:21My great-grandfather
20:23died at the song.
20:24My grandfather died
20:24at Normandy.
20:25My father died
20:26in the ice and snow
20:27on the far side
20:28of the Chosen Reservoir.
20:29My second son,
20:30Michael,
20:30vanished 20 years ago
20:31during a classified operation.
20:33My daughter perished
20:34at a field hospital
20:35in Afghanistan.
20:36And now this boy,
20:37Ryan McGrane,
20:38was very nearly all
20:39I had left in this world.
20:40He was all I had left.
20:41Just then,
20:42the elevator doors
20:42at the end of the corridor
20:43slid open once more.
20:45Harlan had returned
20:46and behind him
20:47shuffled a middle-aged man
20:48in an expensive suit.
20:49His face contorted
20:50with barely contained terror.
20:52Brett Prescott,
20:53United States Senator
20:53from California,
20:55member of the Senate
20:55Armed Services Committee.
20:56The true power
20:57behind the Prescott family.
20:58His complexion was ashen.
21:00His legs were shaking.
21:01Two FBI agents
21:02were half-guided,
21:03half-carrying him forward.
21:04Brett knew this
21:04was his last chance.
21:05If he could not
21:06turn things around here,
21:07tonight,
21:08the name Prescott
21:08would be erased
21:09from San Diego's
21:10power structure.
21:11No,
21:11from the entire
21:12power map
21:12of the United States.
21:13He was brought before me.
21:14The icy stares
21:15of the NCIS operators
21:16scraped across him
21:17like knives,
21:18and he felt as though
21:19he were standing naked
21:20in a blizzard.
21:20General,
21:21sir.
21:22The moment Brett Prescott
21:23opened his mouth,
21:24his voice shattered,
21:25his knees buckled,
21:26he nearly crumpled
21:27to the floor,
21:27but the two FBI agents
21:29on either side
21:29caught him
21:30and held him upright.
21:31They wouldn't even
21:31let him fall.
21:32He would stand
21:32and face this.
21:34On behalf of the
21:35Prescott family,
21:36I offer you
21:37and your family
21:37my deepest,
21:39most heartfelt apology.
21:40He drew a ragged breath
21:41and tried to summon
21:42the senatorial composure
21:43he had spent
21:4330 years perfecting,
21:44but his voice
21:45splintered all the same.
21:46As for my disgrace
21:47of a brother
21:47and his worthless son,
21:49I've already contacted
21:50the family attorneys.
21:51Wayne and Chad
21:51will be permanently removed
21:53from the Prescott Family Trust.
21:54They will be cut off
21:55from every Prescott asset,
21:56account,
21:57and property.
21:58As far as I am concerned,
21:59they are dead to me.
22:00He paused,
22:01as though pushing his last card
22:02across the table.
22:03I am prepared to liquidate
22:05every asset
22:05under the Prescott family name,
22:07every property,
22:09every contract,
22:09every investment,
22:11all of it placed
22:11into a compensation fund
22:13for your grandson,
22:14whatever it takes.
22:15If only you,
22:16if only you would
22:17leave us a way out.
22:18Brett broke down completely.
22:19The polished mask
22:20had spent three decades
22:21buffing to a shine,
22:22cracked apart,
22:23and fell away.
22:24Tears streamed down his face,
22:26dripping onto the linoleum floor
22:27of the Naval Medical Center.
22:28And yet I did not so much
22:29as glance at him.
22:30My gaze had never left
22:31my grandson in the ICU.
22:32The corridor was silent
22:34as a tilt.
22:35Nothing but Brett Prescott's
22:36ragged breathing
22:37in the distance.
22:38Rhythmic beeping
22:38of a heart monitor.
22:39The seconds crawl by.
22:40Each one was an eternity
22:42for Brett.
22:42Just as despair was about
22:43to swallow him whole,
22:44I slowly turned my head.
22:46My gaze settled
22:46on Brett Prescott's face.
22:48There was no anger in it,
22:49no hatred,
22:49only a fathomless indifference,
22:51bottomless and cold.
22:52All your assets.
22:53My voice was quiet,
22:54but every word pierced
22:55Brett's chest like an ice cream.
22:56Tell me,
22:57Senator,
22:58how much do you think
22:59one drop of my grandson's
23:00blood is worth?
23:01Brett's face went white,
23:02then flushed a deep crimson,
23:04then darkened almost a purple.
23:06Shame,
23:07terror,
23:07despair.
23:08The emotions crashed over him
23:10and waved out of life,
23:11each one dragging him deeper.
23:13His mouth opened and closed,
23:14but no sound came out.
23:15He stood there,
23:16drowning in silence.
23:17I was done with him.
23:18I turned to Harlan.
23:20Case file ready?
23:22Harlan stepped forward instantly.
23:24General,
23:24yes, sir.
23:25Preliminary results are in.
23:27He produced a tablet,
23:28tapped open a video file.
23:29The footage was somewhat grainy,
23:31but clear enough to show
23:32everything that had happened.
23:33On the screen,
23:34Ryan was riding an electric scooter
23:35along the street
23:36in the gaslight quarter.
23:37At an intersection,
23:38he appeared not to notice
23:39a red Lamborghini
23:40hurricane parked at the curb.
23:41The scooter's handlebar
23:42grazed the car door
23:43with a light scrape.
23:44The Lamborghini's doors flew open
23:45and four young men piled out.
23:47The one in front
23:47was Chad Prescott.
23:49Chad jabbed his finger
23:50of scratch on the door,
23:51a mark so faint
23:51it was nearly invisible
23:52to the naked eye,
23:53and unloaded on Ryan.
23:54You stupid piece of shit!
23:56Do you know how much
23:57this car costs?
23:58Do you know who the fuck I am?
24:00Ryan stood there,
24:01both hands raised,
24:02palms out,
24:03apologizing repeatedly.
24:04His tone was sincere.
24:05He offered to pay for the damage,
24:07but Chad didn't care
24:08about an apology.
24:08He wanted a punching bag.
24:10The four of them
24:10closed in on Ryan
24:11like a pack of hunkers.
24:12Fron won.
24:13They shoved him back
24:14and forth between them.
24:15Ryan never once fought back.
24:16He never even lowered
24:17his raised hands.
24:18Not until Chad drove
24:19a kick in his abdomen
24:20and sent him crashing
24:21onto the sidewalk.
24:22What came next
24:22made every person watching
24:23in that corridor
24:24clench their fists.
24:25Chad and his companions
24:26unleashed a frenzy of punches
24:27and kicks on Ryan
24:29as he landed around.
24:30They were like a pack
24:30of wild dogs
24:31tearing into prey
24:32that could no longer resist.
24:34And then,
24:34the most sickening moment of all,
24:36one of them ran
24:36to the Lamborghini's trunk
24:37and pulled out a tire iron.
24:39The metal glinted cold
24:40onto the streetlight.
24:41He ran back,
24:42raised it over his head
24:43with both hands
24:44and brought it down
24:45on Ryan's skull.
24:45Blood stained the paper
24:47and he didn't stop
24:48until Ryan had gone
24:49completely still.
24:51Then,
24:51Chad straightened up,
24:52wiped the blood off
24:53his sneakers on Ryan's jacket
24:54and strolled back
24:55to his Lamborghini
24:56with a grin.
24:56One of them actually
24:57pulled out his phone
24:58and snapped a selfie
24:59with Ryan's motionless body
25:00in the background.
25:01Then,
25:01the engine roared
25:02the tires screaming
25:03and they vanished
25:03into the San Diego night.
25:05Ryan lay alone
25:06in a pool of his own blood.
25:07Eleven full minutes passed
25:08before a homeless veteran
25:09walking by dial
25:109-1.
25:11The footage was horrifying
25:12from start to finish.
25:13Patrick watched the video
25:14in silence.
25:15His jaw was clenched
25:16so tight
25:17that the muscles in his neck
25:18stood out like cables.
25:19His fingernails dug
25:20into his arms
25:21until blood seeped
25:22from between his fingers.
25:23If two FBI agents
25:24hadn't physically restrained him,
25:25Patrick would have charged
25:26across the corridor
25:27and torn Brett Prescott
25:28apart with his bare hands.
25:29Harlan's expression
25:30was equally murderous.
25:31He leaned toward
25:32the supervisory agent
25:33beside him
25:33and spoke,
25:34this isn't mutual combat.
25:35This isn't even
25:36aggravated assault.
25:37What I just watched
25:38on that video
25:38is attempted murder
25:39with a deadly weapon.
25:40Notify the U.S. Attorney's Office
25:42I want federal charges.
25:43Every suspect,
25:44every single one.
25:45No plebeos.
25:46My face remained expressionless
25:48but anyone who knew me understood
25:49the calmer I became
25:50the more terrible story.
25:52I finished the video,
25:53closed the tablet
25:54and handed it back to Harlan.
25:55Then I walked slowly
25:56toward Brett Prescott
25:57was being held upright.
25:59Brett saw me coming
26:00and nearly left his body.
26:01A dark stain spread
26:02down the leg
26:03of his $3,000 trousers.
26:04A United States senator
26:05had just wet himself.
26:07I stopped in front of him.
26:08I said nothing.
26:08I simply reached out
26:09and gave his cheek
26:10a light pat,
26:11gentle, almost casual.
26:12But Brett felt
26:13that weathered,
26:13calloused hand
26:14like a red-hot branding
26:15iron searing through his soul.
26:17Your brother raised
26:18a fine son, Senator.
26:19I held his gaze
26:19for one long final moment.
26:21Go back and tell your family,
26:22every last one of them,
26:24the name Prescott
26:25is finished in this city.
26:26Get out!
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