Chapter 3 - THE CLASSIFIED TRUTH“Colonel!” Prosecutor Vance leaped to his feet, knocking his legal pad onto the floor. “Objection! This man is an unannounced, unauthorized interloper! Furthermore, the Department of Defense liaison already submitted a formal denial of this defendant's service record! This is a stunt—a theatrical disruption designed to sway the jury!”
Judge Harrison raised a hand, his eyes narrowed as he stared down at the red seals on the envelope in Carney’s hand. He was an experienced judge; he knew the difference between a local prank and federal clearance levels that superseded his own bench.
“Mr. Vance,” Judge Harrison said slowly, his voice dropping an octave. “The Department of Defense liaison you spoke with... what was his clearance level?”
Vance blinked, thrown off balance. “He... he was a mid-level civilian administrative officer at the Pentagon personnel branch.”
“And Colonel Carney?” the judge asked, glancing at the insignia. “That is a JSOC Operational Command seal. Sit down, Mr. Vance, before you find yourself held in contempt.”
Carney stepped forward, placing the heavy envelope directly onto Judge Harrison’s desk.
“Your Honor,” Carney said clearly. “The civilian database entries stating that Avalon Wright never served were scrubbed under Direct Directive 88-Alpha. Twelve years ago, Ms. Wright enlisted under a deep-cover technical intelligence detachment embedded within the 75th Ranger Regiment. Her official records do not exist in standard recruitment archives because her unit was officially erased from the books the day their FOB in Kandar was overrun by hostile forces.”
A collective gasp swept through the gallery. Reporters frantically began scribbling notes, their pens flying across paper.
Elaine stood up abruptly from her seat in the gallery, her composure completely shattered. “He’s lying!” she shrieked, the refined voice cracking into a desperate screech. “It’s a conspiracy! They fabricated those papers to steal Titan Tactical! Judge, don't listen to him—my daughter is a fraud, a thief, a liar!”
“Sit down, Mrs. Wright,” the bailiff warned, stepping closer to her.
“Look at her!” Elaine pointed a trembling finger at me, tears of pure rage finally spilling down her powdered cheeks. “She thinks she can waltz in here with military actors and fool everyone! She ruined our family! She killed her father with her stress, and now she’s trying to steal everything Curtis and I built!”
I looked back at her, my voice ice-cold.
“You didn't build Titan Tactical, Mother,” I said, turning to face the courtroom. “Dad built it with blood, sweat, and government contracts he won fair and square. And the only person who killed him was the person who helped drain his medical trust fund while he was dying of cancer.”
Curtis jumped up, slamming his hands onto the gallery partition. “Shut your trap, Avalon! You’re going to jail! You forged those documents, and we have the bank statements to prove you looted the accounts!”
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“Mr. Wright! Step back or be removed!” Judge Harrison bellowed, slamming his gavel twice. He looked down at the documents Carney had handed him, breaking the red wax seal with a letter opener. He unfolded the thick parchment, his eyes scanning the first few lines.
The color drained entirely from the judge's face. He looked up, staring at me with a completely new expression—one of profound, unadulterated awe.
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