He leveled the semi-automatic directly at my forehead.

The barrel was steady, less than four feet from my face.

“They have the audio log on the secure server now, Colonel,” I said, keeping my tone flat and even.

“Standard protocol for the 142 band is automatic cloud backup at the division level.”

I took a slow, deliberate half-step to my left.

It was a basic tactical pivot, designed to draw his line of sight away from Madison.

Madison was huddled in the corner behind me, her knees pressed against her chest.

She was shivering, her hands gripping her elbows.

The sound of the rain outside had grown heavier, drumming against the reinforced glass windows of the office.

“It doesn’t matter,” Hayes said, though his hand began to tremble.

“A technical glitch. A corrupted file. I can tie that up in administrative court for years.”

“Not with the logistics manifests already in the hands of the state police,” I said.

I looked at the security monitors behind him.

On screen four, the driveway of the estate was dark, lit only by the amber landscape lights.