Chapter 4 - The Counter-Attack
While I rested in the hospital, Victor and his father were frantically trying to fight back, entirely unaware of the scale of the war they had triggered.
In a plush office on the third floor of the city's district court building, District Attorney Harold Vance—no relation to us, but a man who had long taken bribes from Raul—sat across from a trembling Victor and a bruised Raul.
"You don't understand, Harold!" Raul slammed his fist on the mahogany desk. "Some vigilante group broke into my son’s house, assaulted my family, and kidnapped my pregnant daughter-in-law! I want arrest warrants issued for Gabriel Vance immediately!"
DA Harold stared at Raul as if the older man had lost his mind. He pulled a thick, official envelope from his desk drawer and dropped it in front of them.
"Are you insane, Raul?" Harold said, his voice shaking with genuine fear. "Do you have any idea who Gabriel Vance is?"
Victor sneered, clutching a ice pack to his bruised throat. "He’s just her rich brother! He thinks he can bypass the law—"
"Shut up, you idiot!" Harold shouted, standing up from his chair. "Ten minutes ago, the State Attorney General called me directly! Gabriel Vance didn't just file an assault charge against you—he handed the federal government four years of encrypted video recordings from your house, detailed offshore tax fraud records, and five taped conversations of you bribing city inspectors!"
Victor’s breath hitched. "What video recordings?"
"Your sister’s phone!" Harold roared. "Gabriel’s technical team recovered the cloud backups from Nora’s device! They have forty minutes of clear, high-definition video showing your mother clapping, your sister filming, and you beating a six-month pregnant woman with a wooden cane until she fell unconscious!"
Raul turned deathly pale. "Harold... you have to help us. We’ve paid you for five years!"
"Help you?" Harold laughed hysterically, pulling out his own briefcase. "I’m resigning in twenty minutes, Raul! The FBI just served a search warrant on my office! You didn't just kick a helpless pregnant girl—you stepped on the tail of a dragon, and now he is burning this entire city to the ground to wipe you out!"
Before Victor or Raul could utter another word, the heavy double doors of the DA's office were pushed open.
Four federal agents stepped into the room, led by Special Agent Marcus Reed.
"Victor Mercer? Raul Mercer?" Agent Reed announced, holding up federal arrest warrants. "You are under arrest for federal extortion, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, and violation of civil rights under color of authority."
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Victor backed away in terror, knocking over a coat rack. "No! You can't do this! She’s my wife! It was a domestic argument!"
Agent Reed didn't argue. He pulled Victor’s arms behind his back, clicking heavy steel handcuffs around his wrists. "You have the right to remain silent, Mr. Mercer. I strongly suggest you use it."
