Chapter 12 - The Price of Immunity
By midday, the streets above were in a state of controlled chaos. Federal agents attempted to raid the Lombardi-affiliated shipping yards, only to find them completely empty, stripped of incriminating records and abandoned cleanly. Local law enforcement, suddenly finding their backbones after seeing the DOJ corruption exposed on live television, began detaining federal operatives on obstruction charges.
Lena sat at a mahogany table in Marco’s private penthouse, staring at a thick dossier stamped with her own name: Dr. Lena Ortiz – Deceased (Pending).
The door hissed open, and Marco walked in, carrying two cups of black coffee. He set one down in front of her before pulling out a chair.
"The Attorney General just resigned," Marco said quietly, taking a sip. "Internal Affairs is conducting sweeps of every precinct in the tri-state area. Detective Vance’s co-conspirators are turning on each other to secure plea deals."
"And what about me?" Lena asked, her voice tight. "Legally, I'm still a ghost hiding from a murder charge I didn't commit."
"Legally, you don't exist anymore," Marco replied smoothly. "The federal government can't admit you're alive without acknowledging they tried to execute a whistleblowing surgeon. You have complete immunity, Doctor. Provided you're willing to accept a new position."
May you like
Lena narrowed her eyes. "What kind of position?"
"The Lombardi family funds three major trauma centers and a network of underground medical clinics," Marco said, his dark eyes holding hers steady. "We need someone with your exact skills to run them. Someone incorruptible. Someone who knows how to keep people alive when the rest of the world wants them dead."
