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  • 9 hours ago
Five-Star General’S Wrath
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00:01I am a five-star general, secretly decorated by the President of the United States.
00:05And my only grandson had just been beaten into the ICU by a trust fund brat.
00:09When I arrived at the hospital, the attacker's family actually tried to shut me up with money.
00:13So I reached into the inner pocket of my overcoat and drew out a military-grade encrypted satellite phone.
00:18I dialed a number that had gathered dust for years.
00:21Who is this?
00:22McRain.
00:23I said only one word.
00:24The line went dead silent.
00:25A full five seconds passed before a voice came through.
00:28Trembling with shock, dread, and perhaps even a flicker of all.
00:32General.
00:33General McRae?
00:34Robert Harlan, special agent in charge of the FBI's San Diego field office.
00:38The highest-ranking federal law enforcement official in the city.
00:42His voice sounded as though it had been squeezed from the back of his throat, shaking with disbelief.
00:46I'm at Naval Medical Center.
00:48My grandson, Ryan, is in the ICU.
00:52Harlan's mind went blank.
00:54The general's grandson, in an ICU in San Diego.
00:57A wave of cold sweat instantly soaked through the back of his shirt.
01:00He didn't even dare ask what had happened.
01:02He knew that if the general had personally dialed his phone, the situation had already escalated beyond anything he could
01:07imagine.
01:08I'm on my way.
01:10Harlan grabbed his coat and burst out of his office.
01:15Martinez!
01:16Notify every on-duty supervisory agent.
01:19Assembly at Naval Medical Center in 30 minutes.
01:21Initiate Priority 1.
01:23Everyone in the office froze, stunned by the sudden order.
01:26Priority 1.
01:27That protocol was reserved exclusively for terrorist attacks or major federal cases.
01:32What on earth happened?
01:34Just one hour earlier, my son Patrick had been pacing frantically outside the ICU at Naval Medical Center.
01:40When I arrived, he rushed over to me as though he'd finally found solid ground to stand on.
01:44Dad, how did you get here so fast?
01:47Where's Ryan?
01:48Still in there.
01:49The doctors say it's bad.
01:51Blunt force trauma to the head, three broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, internal bleeding, and multiple organs.
01:57My heart sank like a stone.
01:58I turned my gaze toward a cluster of young men loitering at the far end of the corridor.
02:02The one in front, a blonde kid, was leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone.
02:07His buddies flanked him, smirking and horsing around as though this weren't the entrance to an ICU, but the hallway
02:12of some nightclub.
02:13They're the ones who did it.
02:14The ringleader's name is Chad Prescott.
02:17His father is Wayne Prescott, CEO of Prescott Development Group, the biggest military base contractor on the West Coast.
02:24What about the police?
02:25They came, took a report.
02:27He said it was mutual combat, both parties sustained injuries, and recommended we settle it civilly.
02:33Then they left.
02:34Settle?
02:35My grandson is fighting for his life in the ICU.
02:38That kid over there has nothing but a cast on his leg, and they call that both parties sustained injuries?
02:46At that moment, a middle-aged man in an immaculate suit strolled down the corridor,
02:50trailed by someone carrying a briefcase who had a lawyer written all over him.
02:53It was Wayne Prescott himself.
02:55He must be Ryan's family.
02:57These things happen.
02:59Young men run hot, fists fly.
03:00Nobody means for it to go this far.
03:02He took an envelope from the lawyer's hand and held it out.
03:05There's a check inside for $500,000.
03:07More than enough to cover all medical expenses and rehabilitation.
03:10Sign a non-disclosure agreement.
03:12We each take a step back and we put this whole thing behind us.
03:15Patrick was shaking with rage, about to lunge forward.
03:17I extended my arm and stopped him.
03:20Not enough.
03:21Not enough?
03:23Half a million is generous.
03:24Push this any further and it won't end well for either of us.
03:27Besides, my son was injured too.
03:29Take this to court and it's anyone's guess who comes out on top.
03:32In this city, the name Prescott still carries a certain weight.
03:37I saw no point in continuing the conversation.
03:39I turned away, walked to a quiet corner, and dialed the number that had gathered dust for
03:44years.
03:44Wayne Prescott watched me make a phone call and then simply stand there.
03:47The contempt on his face deepened.
03:49What's this old fossil going to do?
03:51Call someone who matters?
03:53He turned back to his son.
03:55Relax.
03:56We'll get you the best doctors.
03:58You'll be walking again in a month.
04:00Dad, that old bastard doesn't know what's good for him.
04:02Turning down our money.
04:04Chad Prescott shoved his phone into his pocket, his face radiating arrogance.
04:08If you ask me, his grandson should just die in there.
04:12Then we'll see how tough he acts.
04:14Shut up.
04:14This is a hospital.
04:16Watch your mouth.
04:16Wayne Prescott said the words, but in his heart, he felt exactly the same way.
04:21A powerless, retired old man, daring to stand up to the Prescott family?
04:25Laughable.
04:25That was when sirens, urgent, piercing, and relentless.
04:28Erupted in the distance and came screaming toward them.
04:31Tearing through the quiet San Diego evening like a blade.
04:34The sound grew louder.
04:35Closer.
04:36Until it seemed to shriek to a halt directly below Naval Medical Center.
04:39Patients and visitors throughout the hospital rushed to the windows.
04:42Outside.
04:43Seven or eight black Chevrolet Suburbans and several vehicles emblazoned with FBI in bold white letters converged on the hospital
04:50from every direction.
04:51Red and blue light bars blazing.
04:53Sealing off the main entrance completely.
04:55Doors flew open.
04:56Agents in dark blue tactical vests stamped with FBI front and back leapt out, armed to the teeth, and immediately
05:02began stringing up yellow crime scene tape around the entrance.
05:05Then a black Lincoln Town car glided to a stop at the front of the convoy.
05:09Broad-shouldered man with silver-streaked temples.
05:12Stepped out and strode into the building without breaking.
05:14Stride.
05:15Robert Harlan, special agent in charge of the FBI San Diego field office.
05:19Which floor is Ryan McCravey on?
05:21The third floor.
05:22I see you.
05:23Harlan led a phalanx of FBI agents toward the elevators.
05:27By now, Wayne and Chad Prescott had heard the commotion.
05:30Wayne frowned, a faint unease gnawing at his gut.
05:32FBI?
05:33What the hell warrants this kind of response?
05:36The elevator doors opened.
05:38Harlan and six or seven.
05:39Agents stepped out and moved.
05:41Swiftly down the corridor.
05:42His eyes swept the hallway.
05:44In the instant they locked onto the solitary figure standing in the corner.
05:47Still an immovable ass.
05:48Bedrock.
05:49Every trace of authority and swagger drained from his face.
05:52Harlan walked over.
05:53Two steps away.
05:54His feet stopped as though they hit a wall.
05:55He straightened his back instinctively.
05:57Reached out with both hands.
05:58And clasped mine tightly.
05:59General.
06:01The word detonated like thunder in the dead silent corridor.
06:04That single word, asterisk, general asterisk, froze every face in the hallway.
06:08Patrick was dumbstruck.
06:09He knew his father had been in the military.
06:12Knew the rank had been substantial.
06:13But never in his wildest dreams had he imagined the FBI's top official in San Diego would look
06:18at his father with something close to reverence.
06:20Wayne and Chad Prescott went white as sheets.
06:22The SAC.
06:23Robert Harlan.
06:24The man whose very name made every criminal and power broker in San Diego live.
06:28Had his call that old man general?
06:30The smirk on Chad Prescott's face shattered.
06:32His iPhone slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor.
06:34For the first time, it dawned on him that he might have provoked someone with an unimaginable
06:39contemplation.
06:40Wayne Prescott's complexion turned.
06:41The color of ash.
06:42He remembered the patronizing look on his own face moments ago.
06:45He remembered the casual disdain with which he'd held out that check.
06:48He remembered every word he'd said.
06:50Cold sweat drenched his shirt in an instant.
06:52His legs began to tremble uncontrollably.
06:55I did not acknowledge Harlan's greeting.
06:56I did not even glance at him.
06:58My eyes remained fixed on the sealed double doors of the ICU.
07:00My grandson is in there.
07:02My voice barely above a murmur.
07:04Yet it struck Harlan like a sledgehammer to the chest.
07:06He spun around, his gaze cutting toward Wayne and Chad Prescott like a drawn blade.
07:11They're the ones who did this.
07:12Wayne Prescott felt a column of ice shoot up from the soles of his feet to the crown of
07:16his skull.
07:17His mind went utterly blank.
07:18Beside him, Chad's face had turned to sickly green, his lips quivering, unable to produce
07:23a single syllable.
07:25Mr. Harlan.
07:26Agent Harlan.
07:27This is a misunderstanding.
07:29It's all a misunderstanding.
07:32A misunderstanding.
07:34Harlan's voice dropped to a lethal register.
07:37The general's grandson is lying in the ICU, life hanging in the balance, and you're telling
07:41me it's a misunderstanding?
07:43He took another step forward.
07:44The sheer force of his presence bored down on Wayne Prescott until the man could barely
07:49breathe.
07:51I'll ask you one more time.
07:53Did your people do this?
07:55Yes or no?
07:58Wayne Prescott sneezed buckled.
08:00He collapsed onto the floor.
08:01In his wildest nightmares, he never could have fathomed that nobody his son had casually
08:06beaten up was connected to someone like this.
08:08General.
08:08What kind of man earns that title from someone like Robert Harlan and draws that kind of
08:12expression?
08:13It was my son.
08:14He was my son.
08:16He was reckless.
08:17Agent Harlan, just give us a chance to make this right.
08:20Harlan didn't so much as look at him.
08:22He turned on his heel and addressed the supervisory agent behind him.
08:25All suspects, take him back to the field office, separate holding, separate interrogations.
08:29Contact the U.S. Attorney's Office.
08:30I want federal charges.
08:32Collect every piece of evidence.
08:33Pull all surveillance footage.
08:35Hospital and surrounding area.
08:37Get a warrant.
08:37I don't care how you do it.
08:39Three hours.
08:39I want a complete case file on my desk, accurate to the second.
08:44Yes, sir.
08:45The supervisory agent pivoted.
08:46With a sweep of his arm, several FBI agents moved in and slapped handcuffs on Chad Prescott
08:51and everyone his friends before any of them could process what was happening.
08:56Chad still had a cast on his leg.
08:58When an agent hauled him out of his chair, he howled in pain.
09:01Dad!
09:01Help me, Dad!
09:02Wayne Prescott lurched forward but was blocked cold by an agent's outstretched arm.
09:06Watching his son dragged away in handcuffs.
09:08Watching the empire he'd spent a lifetime, the building began to crack at the foundations.
09:12Wayne Prescott's last psychological defense finally crumbled.
09:14He threw himself at my feet, scrambling on all fours.
09:17Sir, General, I'm sorry.
09:19Please spare my son.
09:20He's young.
09:21He didn't know what he was doing.
09:23I lowered my gaze and regarded him the way one might regard an insect.
09:27When your son was beating my grandson, did it ever occur to him that my grandson is also young?
09:33The words lodged every sob and plea in Wayne Prescott's throat.
09:37He collapsed in despair on the cold hospital floor.
09:40He knew, this time, no one could save them.
09:43Once those people had been dealt with, Harlan approached me again, carefully, almost deferentially, his posture as low as it
09:48could go.
09:49General, this happened on my watch in my city.
09:52You and your family were subjected to this.
09:54That is my failure.
09:55His voice was heavy with guilt.
09:57You have my word.
09:58I will see to it personally that this is made right.
10:00Patrick stood to the side, utterly speechless, a mid-level civil servant in county government, a man who spent his
10:06days tiptoeing around superiors, reading every room, watching every word.
10:11When had he ever witnessed anything like this?
10:13The most powerful federal law enforcement officer in San Diego, standing before his father with the deference of a raw
10:18recruit on his first day.
10:19I said nothing.
10:20I simply raised my hand and made a small gesture, asterisk come closer, star.
10:24Harlan understood at once.
10:25He leaned in.
10:26What I want has never been one man's accountability.
10:29I spoke a few sentences.
10:30As Harlan listened, the color drained from his face.
10:34General, that would implicate do as I say.
10:37I cut him off.
10:37My tone left no room for discussion.
10:39Harlan clenched his jaw, then gave a single hard nod.
10:42Yes, sir.
10:44Harlan turned and walked away at a brisk clip, pulling out his phone and dialing as he went.
10:48This is S.A.C. Harlan.
10:49Connect me to the Washington, D.C. headquarters liaison center.
10:53When a line picked up, he dropped his voice low.
10:56Sir, initiate RICO protocol.
10:58Authorization code Eagle 7 Bravo.
11:01Priority level, alpha.
11:04Sir, please confirm.
11:05You are requesting activation of an alpha level RICO protocol?
11:09You heard me.
11:11Now.
11:13RICO, the racketeer-influenced and corrupt organizations act,
11:17was the federal justice system's ultimate weapon against organized crime.
11:21An alpha level activation meant the FBI would coordinate with the IRS,
11:25the DEA, FNC, and the U.S. Marshal Service,
11:28and every other relevant federal agency to conduct a full-spectrum takedown of the target.
11:33I intended to use my grandson's beating as the thread,
11:37would unravel every piece of buried filth in San Diego,
11:42every criminal network,
11:44every protective umbrella,
11:48every link in the chain.
11:50Just then, my encrypted satellite phone rang.
11:53An unfamiliar number.
11:55The voice on the other end was measured.
12:00Who is this?
12:04Am I speaking with Mr. McCrane?
12:07My name is Brett Prescott.
12:09I'm Wayne Prescott's brother.
12:11I'm a United States senator,
12:13a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
12:16I believe we can discuss this like gentlemen.
12:18Before he could finish, I hung up.
12:20Then I dialed another number.
12:21This one was shorter than Harlan's,
12:22and far more consequential.
12:25A voice came through the line,
12:27powerful, full of iron and gunpowder.
12:30I'll be damned.
12:31Iron bone.
12:32What drags you out of retirement?
12:34I heard that familiar voice
12:35and felt the ice behind my eyes thaw,
12:37just barely,
12:38before a deeper cold replaced it.
12:40Bull, my grandson's been beaten into the ICU in San Diego.
12:44Who the fuck is responsible for this?
12:47William Bull Brennan,
12:48Commander, United States Indo-Pacific Command.
12:51Four-star Admiral.
12:52A man I have forged with my own hands.
12:54Thirty years ago, in the Persian Gulf,
12:56he'd been a young lieutenant.
12:57During a routine patrol,
12:59his Humvee took an RPG and burst into flames.
13:03I ran through a hail of gunfire,
13:06dragged him from the burning wreckage,
13:07and carried him on my back
13:08for two kilometers across open desert
13:10to a medevac landing zone.
13:13Who the hell did this?
13:15Give me a name, Jim!
13:17Give me a goddamn name!
13:19I will bury them so deep
13:21they'll need a submarine
13:22to find their own grave!
13:23Brennan's roar nearly blew out the speaker.
13:26Stand down, bull.
13:28That's not why I called.
13:30Just say the word, sir.
13:31What do you need?
13:32Prescott Development Group,
13:33a real estate outfit out of San Diego.
13:35They've held contracts
13:36on military-based construction projects.
13:38My grandson is still in the ICU.
13:39I don't know if he's going to make it.
13:41I don't want to see them still open
13:43for business tomorrow.
13:44I spoke slowly,
13:44but every word landed like a bullet
13:46in Brennan's ear.
13:47Brennan understood instantly.
13:48I didn't want their money.
13:49I didn't want their blood.
13:50I wanted annihilation.
13:51I wanted the Prescott family,
13:52who had no concept of the forces
13:54they provoked,
13:54to plummet from heaven to hell
13:56in a single day.
13:57I wanted the business empire.
13:58They were so proud of the crumble
13:59like paper in the face
14:01of absolute power.
14:03Understood, General.
14:04You'll have my answer before sunrise.
14:06After hanging up,
14:09Brennan strode back
14:10into Indo-Pacific Command's
14:11Joint Operations Center,
14:12his face dark as a thunderhead.
14:14The flag officers seated
14:15around the room
14:16exchanged uneasy glances
14:17the moment they saw his expression.
14:19Brennan walked to the command console
14:21and swept the room
14:22with a gaze cold enough
14:23to freeze steel.
14:24Contact the Inspector General's office.
14:26Notify DCA,
14:26the Defense Contract Audi Agency.
14:28Initiate the highest level
14:29national security review
14:30on every Department of Defense
14:31related project
14:32built by Prescott Development Group.
14:33All projects currently under construction
14:35are to be frozen immediately.
14:36His voice wasn't loud,
14:37but every word drove
14:38into the ears of everyone
14:39present like a nail.
14:40All pending payments
14:41are to be suspended immediately.
14:42All Prescott personnel
14:43holding military base
14:44access credulees.
14:45Security clearances revoked
14:46effective now.
14:47Place the company
14:48on the DOB debarment list.
14:49He paused,
14:50then added one final order.
14:51Contact the NCIS director.
14:53I want a protective detail
14:54at Naval Medical Center San Diego
14:55within two hours.
14:56Each command
14:57was a scalpel,
14:58precise,
14:59merciless,
14:59slicing straight through
15:00the arteries
15:01of Prescott Development Group.
15:02The flag officers
15:03in the room were stunned.
15:04A national security review
15:05combined with DOD debarment.
15:07This was the most severe sanction
15:08that could be levied
15:09against a defense contractor.
15:10Once initiated,
15:11it was,
15:12for all practical purposes,
15:13a commercial death sentence.
15:15In the entire history
15:16of the United States,
15:17no company placed
15:18on the debarment list
15:19had ever recovered.
15:20What kind of company
15:20could provoke Bull Brennan
15:22into issuing orders
15:23of this magnitude?
15:24Admiral,
15:25with all due respect,
15:26Prescott is one of the largest
15:27defense craft trickers
15:28on the West Coast
15:28and a preferred vander
15:29of the DOEP.
15:30If we sever ties
15:31without due process,
15:32the congressional blowback alone
15:33did I stutter, Captain?
15:34Execute the order.
15:35Brennan whipped around,
15:36his eyes razor sharp
15:38as a hawk's.
15:39A chill ran
15:39through every person
15:40in the room.
15:41No one dared utter
15:42another word of dissent.
15:43Meanwhile,
15:44in San Diego,
15:45an invisible storm
15:46was gathering
15:47inside the FBI
15:48field office's
15:49holding room.
15:49Wayne Prescott
15:50was frantically working
15:51every connection he had.
15:52Outside,
15:53his brother Brett
15:53was burning through his phone,
15:55dialing number after number.
15:56But to their horror,
15:57every line had gone dead.
15:58The politicians
15:59who had attended
15:59their fundraising gals,
16:01played golf at their country club,
16:02happily accepted
16:03their campaign donations.
16:04Every last one of them
16:06either sent calls
16:06straight to voicemail,
16:07fired back an icy text
16:09reading in a meeting,
16:10can't talk,
16:11or had blocked
16:11the Prescott's numbers outright.
16:13The law firm
16:13they retained for years
16:14suddenly claimed
16:15a conflict of interest
16:16and refused
16:17to continue representation.
16:18San Diego's
16:19entire power network
16:20had,
16:20in the span
16:21of a single night,
16:22slammed every door shut
16:23on the Prescott family.
16:24Brett was far sharper
16:25than his brother.
16:26He understood immediately
16:27they hadn't merely
16:28crossed the wrong person.
16:30They had kicked a hornet's
16:31nest the size
16:31of the Pentagon.
16:32Wayne,
16:33you need to tell me the truth.
16:34Who the hell
16:34is that old man?
16:35I don't know.
16:35He didn't say a word.
16:37Made one phone call
16:38and this is what happened.
16:39One phone call,
16:40Brett,
16:40just one goddamn phone call.
16:42At that moment,
16:43Brett's phone rang.
16:44It was Prescott
16:45Development Group's CFO.
16:46Senator Prescott,
16:47we have a catastrophic situation.
16:48Every single one
16:49of the company's bank accounts
16:50has been frozen.
16:51FinCon issued
16:52a suspicious activity report.
16:54All banks cut our credit lines.
16:55IRS showed up
16:56with a search warrant.
16:58OSAA has shut down
16:59all of our construction sites.
17:00The SEC sent a subpoena
17:01demanding 10 years
17:02of financial records.
17:03And worst of all,
17:04DCA seized
17:05every military contract document.
17:06Federal agents
17:07have locked down
17:08corporate headquarters.
17:09No one in,
17:09no one out.
17:10The CFO's voice
17:11was cracking.
17:12Each piece of bad
17:13news detonated
17:14like a bomb,
17:15leaving Brett dizzy
17:15and reeling.
17:16DOD debarment.
17:17Brett understood
17:18the weight
17:18of those two words
17:19better than anyone.
17:21It seemed firsthand
17:22what happened
17:22to companies placed
17:23on the debarment list.
17:24Stock price cratered
17:25to zero.
17:26Banks pulled all credit.
17:27Business partners
17:28severed ties overnight
17:29and executives were indicted
17:30by federal prosecutors.
17:31No company had ever
17:32come back
17:33from the debarment list.
17:34Not one.
17:34Brett lowered his phone.
17:35Every ounce of strength
17:36drained from his body
17:37and collapsed
17:38into his chair.
17:38It's over.
17:39It's truly,
17:41completely over.
17:42And all of this
17:42was only the beginning.
17:43Below Naval Medical Center,
17:45a low,
17:45heavy rumble of engines
17:47suddenly filled the air.
17:48Everyone instinctively
17:49turned toward the windows.
17:50Several dark gray
17:51Chevrolet Suburbans,
17:53windows tinted black,
17:55devoid of any markings,
17:56rolled up in a tight convoy
17:57and halted
17:58at the FBI perimeter.
17:59The lead man
18:00flashed federal credentials
18:01and the cordon
18:02was open without a word.
18:03The convoy glided
18:04to a stop
18:04in front of the main building.
18:05Doors swung open.
18:06A team of men
18:07stepped out
18:07at a brisk pace
18:08clad in dark tactical gear,
18:10gold federal badges
18:11on their chests,
18:12and armbands
18:12bearing a single
18:13unmistakable word,
18:15NCIS.
18:15They acknowledged no one.
18:17They walked straight inside
18:18and cleared the entire
18:19ICU floor
18:20in 90 seconds,
18:21checking exits,
18:22stairwells,
18:23elevator banks.
18:24Within minutes,
18:25the ICU wing
18:26was under full
18:26federal protective lockdown.
18:28In the corridor,
18:29the SDPD officers
18:30and FBI agents
18:31already posted
18:31their instinctively
18:32step back
18:33when these men appeared.
18:34These operators
18:35carried themselves differently.
18:36The way their eyes moved,
18:37the way they walked,
18:38the unconscious tactical posture
18:40they maintained
18:41even while standing still.
18:42Anyone who had spent time
18:43in the military
18:43could see it instantly.
18:45These were not ordinary
18:46federal agents.
18:47They were operators.
18:48Patrick watched them
18:49take up positions
18:50along the corridor
18:50like javelins
18:51driven into the floor
18:52and his mind short-circuited
18:53once again.
18:54His father's first phone call
18:55had summoned the FBI.
18:57His father's second phone call
18:58had summoned a force
18:59capable of making
19:00the entire Pacific fleet tremble.
19:01This man,
19:02the man he had always assumed
19:03was just a retired veteran.
19:05Who the hell was his father?
19:07Doctor,
19:07how is my grandson?
19:09How is my son?
19:10Dr. Nathan Shun,
19:11chief of trauma surgery
19:12at Naval Medical Center San Diego,
19:14looked at the old man
19:14standing before him
19:15then at the stone-faced
19:16NCIS agents
19:17lining the corridor
19:18and felt his own pulse quicken.
19:19He drew a deep breath
19:20and willed his voice
19:21to remain steady.
19:22General Mr. McGradyen,
19:23you can breathe.
19:25After an all-out effort,
19:26Ryan's vitals have stabilized.
19:28All internal bleeding
19:29has been brought under control
19:30and the fractured ribs
19:31have been set.
19:32He's not completely
19:32out of the woods yet,
19:34but he's past the hardest part.
19:36Dr. Chin peeled off his gloves,
19:38exhaled slowly,
19:39and looked at me
19:40with a faint, weary smile.
19:41Your grandson is a fighter, General,
19:43just like his grandfather.
19:45At those words,
19:46the wire that had held Patrick together
19:47all night finally snapped.
19:49His legs gave out.
19:50He slid down the wall
19:51until he was sitting on the floor
19:52and pressed both hands
19:53against his face
19:54and wept without a sound.
19:55My own ramrod-straight spine swayed.
19:57Just barely,
19:58just once,
19:58and the fists I kept clenched
20:00for hours slowly.
20:01Finally, uncurled.
20:02Thank you, doctor.
20:04It's my job, General,
20:06and it's an honor.
20:07When can we see him?
20:08He'll need 48 hours
20:09of observation in the ICU.
20:11Once he's fully stabilized,
20:13we'll transfer him
20:14to the step-down unit.
20:15At that point,
20:15family members can visit
20:16during desictated hours
20:18on a rotating basis.
20:19If needed,
20:20we can arrange
20:21for one family member
20:22to stay overnight.
20:23I gave a single nod
20:24and said nothing more.
20:25I walked to the ICU
20:26observation window
20:26and stood there,
20:28gazing through the thick glass
20:29at the young figure
20:30lying in the bed,
20:31tubes and monitor leads
20:32running from every part
20:33of his body.
20:33That boy was the last bloodline
20:35of the McGrane family,
20:36the final branch
20:37on a tree that war
20:38had hacked down,
20:39generation after generation.
20:41My great-grandfather
20:42died at the Song.
20:43My grandfather died
20:44at Normandy.
20:44My father died
20:45in the ice and snow
20:46on the far side
20:47of the Chosen Reservoir.
20:48My second son,
20:49Michael,
20:50vanished 20 years ago
20:51during a classified operation.
20:52My daughter perished
20:53at a field hospital
20:54in Afghanistan.
20:55And now this boy,
20:56Ryan McGrane,
20:57was very nearly
20:58all I had left in this world.
20:59He was all I had left.
21:00Just then,
21:01the elevator doors
21:02at the end of the corridor
21:03slid open once more.
21:05Harlan had returned
21:05and behind him
21:06shuffled a middle-aged man
21:07in an expensive suit.
21:09His face contorted
21:10with barely contained terror.
21:11Brett Prescott,
21:12United States Senator
21:13from California,
21:14member of the Senate
21:15Armed Services Committee,
21:16the true power
21:17behind the Prescott family.
21:18His complexion was ashen.
21:19His legs were shaking.
21:21Two FBI agents
21:22were half-guided,
21:23half-carrying him forward.
21:24Brett knew this
21:24was his last chance.
21:25If he could not
21:26turn things around here,
21:27tonight,
21:27the name Prescott
21:28would be erased
21:29from San Diego's
21:30power structure.
21:30No,
21:31from the entire
21:32power map of the United States.
21:33He was brought before me.
21:34The icy stairs
21:35of the NCIS operators
21:36scraped across him
21:37like knives,
21:38and he felt as though
21:39he were standing naked
21:40in a blizzard.
21:40General,
21:41sir.
21:42The moment Brett Prescott
21:43opened his mouth,
21:44his voice shattered,
21:45his knees buckled,
21:46he nearly crumpled
21:47to the floor,
21:47but the two FBI agents
21:49on either side
21:49caught him
21:50and held him upright.
21:51They wouldn't even
21:51let him fall.
21:52He would stand
21:53and face this.
21:54On behalf of the Prescott family,
21:56I offer you
21:57and your family
21:58my deepest,
21:59most heartfelt apology.
22:01He drew a ragged breath
22:02and tried to summon
22:02the senatorial composure
22:03he had spent 30 years
22:04perfecting,
22:05but his voice
22:05splintered all the same.
22:06As for my disgrace
22:07of a brother
22:08and his worthless son,
22:09I've already contacted
22:10the family attorneys.
22:11Wayne and Chad
22:12will be permanently removed
22:13from the Prescott family trust.
22:15They will be cut off
22:15from every Prescott asset,
22:17account,
22:17and property.
22:18As far as I am concerned,
22:20they are dead to me.
22:21He paused,
22:22as though pushing his last card
22:23across the table.
22:24I am prepared to liquidate
22:25every asset
22:26under the Prescott family name,
22:28every property,
22:29every contract,
22:30every investment,
22:31all of it placed
22:32into a compensation fund
22:34for your grandson,
22:34whatever it takes.
22:36If only you,
22:37if only you would
22:38leave us a way out.
22:39Brett broke down completely.
22:40The polished mask
22:41had spent three decades
22:42buffing to a shine,
22:43cracked apart,
22:44and fell away.
22:45Tears streamed down his face,
22:46dripping onto the linoleum floor
22:48of the Naval Medical Center.
22:49And yet I did not so much
22:50as glance at him.
22:51My gaze had never left
22:53my grandson in the ICU.
22:54The corridor was silent
22:55as a tune.
22:56Nothing but Brett Prescott's
22:57ragged breathing
22:58in the distance.
22:59Rhythmic beeping
22:59of a heart monitor.
23:00The seconds crawl by.
23:02Each one was an eternity
23:03for Brett.
23:04Just as despair was about
23:05to swallow him whole,
23:06I slowly turned my head.
23:07My gaze settled
23:08on Brett Prescott's face.
23:09There was no anger in it,
23:10no hatred,
23:11only a fathomless indifference,
23:12bottomless and cold.
23:13All your assets.
23:14My voice was quiet,
23:15but every word pierced
23:16Brett's chest like an ice cream.
23:18Tell me,
23:19Senator,
23:19how much do you think
23:20one drop of my grandson's
23:22blood is worth?
23:23Brett's face went white,
23:24then flushed a deep crimson,
23:26then darkened
23:27almost to purple.
23:28Shame,
23:28terror,
23:29despair.
23:30The emotions crashed
23:31over him
23:31and waved out of him,
23:33each one dragging him deeper.
23:34His mouth opened and closed,
23:35but no sound came out.
23:37He stood there,
23:38drowning in silence.
23:39I was done with him.
23:40I turned to Harlan.
23:42Case file ready?
23:44Harlan stepped forward instantly.
23:45General?
23:46Yes, sir.
23:47Preliminary results are in.
23:48He produced a tablet,
23:49tapped open a video file.
23:51The footage was somewhat grainy,
23:53but clear enough to show
23:53everything that had happened.
23:55On the screen,
23:56Ryan was riding an electric scooter
23:57along the street
23:57in the gaslight quarter.
23:59At an intersection,
24:00he appeared not to notice
24:01a red Lamborghini
24:02hurricane parked at the curb.
24:03The scooter's handlebar
24:04grazed the car door
24:05with a light scrape.
24:06The Lamborghini's doors
24:07flew open
24:07and four young men piled out.
24:09The one in front
24:10was Chad Prescott.
24:11Chad jabbed his finger
24:12of scratch on the door,
24:13a mark so faint
24:13it was nearly invisible
24:14to the naked eye
24:15and unloaded on Ryan.
24:16You stupid piece of shit!
24:18Do you know how much
24:19this car costs?
24:20Do you know
24:21who the fuck I am?
24:23Ryan stood there,
24:24both hands raised,
24:25palms out,
24:26apologizing repeatedly.
24:27His tone was sincere.
24:28He offered to pay
24:28for the damage,
24:29but Chad didn't care
24:30about an apology.
24:31He wanted a punching bag.
24:32The four of them
24:33closed in on Ryan
24:33like a pack of hunkiness.
24:35For on one,
24:35they shoved him back
24:36into the fourth
24:37between them.
24:37Ryan never once fought back.
24:39He never even lowered
24:40his race points.
24:41Not until Chad
24:41drove a kick in his abdomen
24:42and sent him crashing
24:43on a sidewalk.
24:44What came next
24:45made every person watching
24:46in that corridor
24:47clench their fists.
24:48Chad and his companions
24:49unleashed a frenzy
24:50of punches and kicks
24:51on Ryan as he landed around.
24:52They were like a pack
24:53of wild dogs
24:54tearing into prey
24:55that could no longer resist.
24:56And then,
24:57the most sickening moment
24:58of all,
24:59one of them ran
24:59to the Lamborghini's trunk
25:00and pulled out a tire iron.
25:02The metal glinted cold
25:03under the streetlight.
25:04He ran back,
25:05raised it over his head
25:06with both hands
25:07and brought it down
25:08on Ryan's skull.
25:09Blood stained the paper
25:10and he didn't stop
25:11until Ryan had gone
25:12completely still.
25:14Then,
25:14Chad straightened up,
25:15wiped the blood off
25:16his sneakers on Ryan's jacket
25:17and strolled back
25:18to his Lamborghini
25:19with a grin.
25:20One of them actually
25:20pulled out his phone
25:21and snapped a selfie
25:22with Ryan's emotionless body
25:23in the background.
25:24Then,
25:24the engine roared
25:25the tires screamed
25:26and they vanished
25:27into the San Diego night.
25:28Ryan lay alone
25:29in a pool of his own blood.
25:30Eleven full minutes passed
25:31before a homeless veteran
25:32walking by dial 911.
25:34The footage was horrifying
25:35from start to finish.
25:37Patrick watched the video
25:38in silence.
25:38His jaw was clenched
25:39so tightly
25:40that the muscles
25:41in his neck
25:41stood out like cables.
25:42His fingernails dug
25:43into his palms
25:44until blood seeped
25:45from between his fingers.
25:46If two FBI agents
25:47hadn't physically
25:48restrained him,
25:49Patrick would have charged
25:50across the corridor
25:50and torn Brett Prescott
25:51apart with his bare hands.
25:53Harlan's expression
25:53was equally murderous.
25:55He leaned toward
25:55the supervisory agent
25:56beside him
25:57and spoke.
25:58This isn't mutual combat.
25:59This isn't even
26:00aggravated assault.
26:01What I just watched
26:02on that video
26:02is attempted murder
26:03with a deadly weapon.
26:04Notify the U.S. Attorney's Office
26:05I want federal charges.
26:07Every suspect,
26:08every single one.
26:09No plebeos.
26:10My face remained expressionless,
26:12but anyone who knew me
26:13understood
26:13the calmer I became
26:14the more terrible story.
26:16I finished the video,
26:17closed the tablet,
26:18and handed it back to Harlan.
26:19Then I walked slowly
26:20to where Brett Prescott
26:21was being held upright.
26:23Brett saw me coming
26:24and nearly left his body.
26:25A dark stain spread
26:26down the leg
26:27of his $3,000 trousers.
26:28A United States senator
26:29had just wet himself.
26:31I stopped in front of him.
26:32I said nothing.
26:33I simply reached out
26:34and gave his cheek
26:34a light pat,
26:35gentle, almost casual.
26:36But Brett felt
26:37that weathered,
26:38calloused hand
26:38like a red-hot branding
26:39iron searing
26:41into his soul.
26:41Your brother raised
26:42a fine son, senator.
26:43I held his gaze
26:44for one long final moment.
26:45Go back and tell your family,
26:47every last one of them,
26:48the name Prescott
26:49is finished in this city.
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