Chapter 17 - THE BETRAYAL WITHIN THE BUREAU
The return flight aboard the federal transport plane was quiet as it cut through the night sky toward Washington D.C. Serena sat in the passenger cabin, studying the pages of her father's diary while Caleb verified the authenticity of the bearer bonds with federal auditors via satellite link.
Suddenly, the plane bumped violently through severe turbulence, the overhead lights flickering before turning into red emergency illumination.
The cabin door opened, and Caleb's supervisor, Special Agent in Charge Miller, walked into the section carrying a black tactical case. He looked unusually tense, his eyes avoiding Caleb's gaze as he approached the table.
"We just received an emergency directive from the Director's office, Walker," Miller announced, his voice tight and unnatural. "All physical evidence recovered from Zurich is to be impounded at Andrews Air Force Base upon landing."
Caleb stood up slowly, placing his hand over the leather diary resting on the table. "That's not standard protocol, Miller. This evidence goes directly to the Special Counsel's vault at Justice."
Miller pulled out his sidearm, aiming it directly at Caleb's chest with a cold, unblinking glare. "Protocol just changed, Agent Walker. Hand over the diary and the hard drive."
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Serena rose from her seat, her voice filled with disbelief as she looked at the man who had overseen their protection detail for months. "They bought you too, didn't they, Miller?"
"Everyone has a price, Serena," Miller replied coldly, gesturing with his gun toward the rear door. "And the Sterling family pays better than the United States Government."
