Evelyn mentioned CB radio networks. Truckers who know these roads, old school drivers, Silas nodded. They watch out for each other. Evelyn's been coordinating them for years. Can they position themselves near the depot without being obvious?
Sure. Truckers park everywhere to rest. Nobody questions an 18-wheeler on the shoulder. Marissa called Augustus. He answered on the second ring.
The federal agents are in position, she asked. Birmingham field office has a team 20 minutes out. They're waiting for actionable intelligence. I'm about to give it to them. But Augustus, they need to let this play out.
If they move too early, Telus will walk. Marissa, I know what I'm doing. This is military intelligence gathering. Let the target expose himself. She ended the call and looked at Darius.
When does Mercer usually move cargo? After dark. usually between 10 and midnight when the deputies change shifts. Then we wait until tonight. Silas drove them back toward town, but Marissa's attention was already shifting to the abandoned county maintenance depot. In her mind, she could see the layout from the GPS coordinates, large enough to hide vehicles, isolated enough for criminal activity, perfect for a trap.
The sun was beginning its descent toward the horizon when Marissa climbed into Evelyn's pickup alone, leaving Silas and Darius at the diner with strict instructions to stay near the CB radio. She drove slowly toward the depot, her phone recording, her mind focused on the mission ahead. She was about to become the bait in her own trap. The abandoned county maintenance depot squatted against the darkening sky like a broken promise. Rust stained chain links surrounded three metal sheds and a loading dock that had seen better decades.
Most of the flood lights were shattered, leaving only two working bulbs to cast weak yellow circles on cracked asphalt. Marissa parked Evelyn's pickup behind a collapsed section of fence hidden from the main gate, but close enough to see the loading area. She pulled the borrowed dash cam from her bag, a small unit Darius had taken from a scrapped truck, and positioned it on the dashboard, angled toward the depot's central building. The device blinked red once, then settled into recording mode. Her phone buzzed with a text from Darius in position at loading bay.
Recorder hidden behind dumpster. Through the fence gaps, she could see his crouched figure near the main shed. He had climbed over the back fence 20 minutes earlier, carrying a digital audio recorder wrapped in waterproof plastic. The boy was braver than he looked. Marissa's CB radio crackled to life.
Silas's voice came through clear and calm. Base to lookout 1. Any movement on County Road 47. Raphael Ortiz responded from his position a mile east. Lookout one to base.
All quiet. No county vehicles. Bianca's voice followed. Lookout two to base. Highway 82 clear.
No unusual traffic. The CB network was old school but effective. Six truckers positioned along the approach roads. All volunteers who had heard about the seizure ring and wanted justice. Evelyn coordinated from the diner, relaying information between the lookouts and Marissa.
At 9:45, the radio sparked again. Base to Mobile. Three county vehicles heading your way. Two sedans and a van. Marissa's pulse quickened.
Copy base. Are they marked units? Negative. Plane closed, but I recognize Mercer's Crown Vic. She pressed the record button on her phone and checked the dash cam's battery.
Everything was ready. The first vehicle appeared at the depot gate 5 minutes later. Mercer's unmarked sedan, followed by Pike's patrol car with lights off. Behind them came a white panel van and a black SUV that Marissa didn't recognize. Through her phone's zoom camera, she watched Mercer unlock the gate with his own key.
The vehicles drove inside and parked near the loading dock, headlights illuminating the shed where Darius was hiding. Four figures emerged from the cars. Mercer and Pike she knew immediately. The third was Captain Straoud, her blonde hair pulled back in a severe ponytail. The fourth figure made Marissa's breath catch.
Judge Conrad Telus stepped out of the SUV wearing a expensive coat over casual clothes. Even in the dim light, his entitled posture was unmistakable. Marissa adjusted her phone's audio settings and held it toward the fence. The men were talking, but she couldn't make out words. She needed them closer.
Mercer walked to one of the storage units built into the main shed. He punched a code into an electronic lock, and the rolling door lifted with a metallic screech. The storage unit was packed with cargo containers, medical equipment boxes, and sealed crates. Marissa recognized the distinctive militaryra packaging of her federal shipment. "Jesus Christ," she whispered, zooming her camera on the stolen goods.
"They've been doing this for months. " Pike and two other men began loading items into the van while Straoud stood guard with a radio. Telus supervised from beside his SUV, occasionally pointing at specific containers. Their voices carried better now that they were working. Marissa caught fragments through the fence. State investigators arrived tomorrow morning.
Move everything to the secondary location. Federal heat is too dangerous. Straoud's voice cut through clearly. I told you we should have avoided the veil woman. Her company registration showed Calder freight solution.
How was I supposed to know she was married to a general? Telus turned toward her, irritated. You said you were monitoring federal freight schedules, high value medical cargo, veterans hospital contract, minority woman owner. She looked perfect. She was perfect.
The paperwork showed Marissa Calder as sole proprietor. No mention of Augustus Vale anywhere in the federal transportation database. Marissa's blood turned cold. They had targeted her specifically. This wasn't random racism.