A figure in a heavy winter coat was standing in front of the stainless-steel cryogenic tanks.

The figure turned toward the hidden camera, their face illuminated by the blue light of the freezer.

It was a face I recognized instantly, someone who wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near Denver today.

The screen flashed as a new call began to override the video feed, the caller ID displaying a number from the city’s municipal airport.

Julian swiped the screen and answered the call, putting it on speakerphone.

The voice that came through was loud, crackling with the static of a bad connection and the background roar of jet engines.

“This is Detective Miller, Denver PD, domestic transit detail,” the voice said.

“We have a secure hold on Ethan Lawson at Gate 4 of the municipal executive terminal.”

The courtroom remained perfectly still, the only sound being the hum of the overhead fluorescent lights.

“He was attempting to board a private charter to Cabo San Lucas under an assumed name,” the detective continued.

“We have confiscated his baggage, which contains two million dollars in bearer bonds and three encrypted hard drives from the Westbridge office.”