Chapter 6 - The Legal Battle and Hidden Assets
The local precinct was a madhouse by Monday morning. The state attorney’s office had taken over the case, converting the second-floor conference room into a command center filled with federal agents, environmental safety officials, and corporate attorneys from the Bio-Tech Research Center.
I sat in the corner of the room, my hands still covered in the faint residue of the fingerprint ink the technicians had used to clear me of any involvement with the stolen cylinders.
Sarah sat across the room, handcuffed to the arm of a heavy oak chair, a public defender whispering frantically into her ear. She looked smaller now, stripped of the manic energy that had sustained her during her three months with Caleb.
“The federal grand jury just returned a twelve-count indictment against Caleb Vance,” the state attorney announced, dropping a thick blue folder onto the center table. “Charges include industrial espionage, trafficking in regulated biological materials, child endangerment, and first-degree assault with a deadly weapon. But we have a jurisdictional conflict.”
The corporate attorney for the research center stood up, his suit immaculate, his expression completely devoid of human sympathy. “The transponder and the synthetic isotopes are proprietary corporate property under federal protection. The child is a material witness in an ongoing industrial theft investigation. We are requesting immediate federal custody of all related biological and digital evidence.”
“She’s not evidence!” I stood up so fast my chair rattled against the baseboard. “She’s a seven-year-old girl who needs a pediatric surgeon to check her shoulder for infection! You’re not touching her.”
“Mrs. Calder,” the attorney said, his voice dropping into that smooth, condescending register designed to minimize civilian interference. “Your sister signed an exclusive employment indemnity agreement when Caleb was hired three months ago. She listed the child as a dependent beneficiary under the facility's private insurance policy. Legally, the corporation has the right to conduct a private medical evaluation to ensure no proprietary data or materials remain embedded in the subject.”
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I looked at Sarah. Her eyes were fixed on the floor, her teeth biting into her bottom lip until a thin line of red appeared. She had signed the papers without reading them—or worse, she had signed them knowing exactly what kind of shield she was providing for Caleb’s work.
“She doesn't have the authority to sign away Lily’s rights,” I said, my voice dropping into a dangerous, quiet certainty. “Our father’s will was very specific about the family trust. If either sister is found legally incapacitated or criminally negligent, full custody of the minor children reverts to the remaining sibling along with forty-eight percent of the voting shares in the family estate. Sarah is currently facing twelve federal felonies. As of nine o'clock this morning, I am Lily’s legal guardian.”
