He took three steps forward, crossing the bar that separated the gallery from the counsel tables.

“Your Honor, I object,” Mr. Sterling, the lead attorney for Whitaker Global, said as he rose to his feet.

Sterling was a tall man with silver hair and a tailored suit that cost more than my monthly mortgage.

“Mr. Mercer is not a party to this case, nor is he a designated witness,” Sterling said. “This is a highly irregular disruption of a formal hearing.”

“I am aware of the rules, Mr. Sterling,” Judge Vane said.

The judge looked at the silver and black USB drive in Ethan’s hand.

“Mr. Mercer, what is the nature of the item you are holding?” the judge asked.

“These are the master encryption keys for the Whitaker Global secure servers,” Ethan said.

A low murmur rippled through the gallery.

Colonel Thomas Whitaker, who had been sitting motionless at the defense table, suddenly stood up.

His face was flushed, his jaw clenched tight.

“That is proprietary military software,” the Colonel said, his voice booming through the room. “Possessing those files without authorization is a federal offense.”