Chapter 9 - The Downtown Raid
At precisely 7:55 AM the next morning, a black unmarked federal SUV pulled up to the curb outside Pendelton Enterprises—a sleek, glass-and-steel monolith towering over downtown Austin.
Maya sat in the front passenger seat, wearing a sharp black trench coat, her expression carved from stone. Beside her sat Marcus Vance, holding a portable tablet loaded with corporate audit authorizations.
“Agent Chen, the tactical team is in position at the freight elevators and the main lobby,” the radio crackled with a static-filled voice from the driver’s dash.
“Copy that. Move in,” Agent Chen ordered crisply, putting the SUV in park.
They stepped out into the cool morning air and strode through the revolving glass doors of the lobby. The security guards at the front desk barely had time to blink before two federal marshals flashed their badges, stepping behind the turnstiles and securing the elevators with absolute efficiency.
By the time Maya, Agent Chen, and Marcus stepped out onto the penthouse floor, the executive suite was still humming with quiet, oblivious corporate luxury. Classical music played softly over hidden speakers, and an administrative assistant was casually polishing a silver espresso machine near the reception desk.
“Federal warrants! Nobody move!” Agent Chen’s voice echoed sharply through the open-concept floor plan.
The assistant dropped her polishing cloth, letting out a shriek as three armed agents swept past her toward the executive double doors at the end of the hall.
Agent Chen didn't knock. She kicked the mahogany door open with a single, practiced thrust.
Arthur Pendelton—a silver-haired, impeccably dressed man in his late sixties—was sitting behind an enormous mahogany desk, signing documents with a gold-nibbed fountain pen. He looked up, his face contorting with arrogant indignation.
“What is the meaning of this federal harassment? Do you know who I am?” Pendelton barked, standing up and smoothing his tailored vest.
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“We know exactly who you are, Mr. Pendelton,” Maya said, stepping past the federal agents and stopping directly in front of his desk. She slammed the red forensic folder down onto the polished wood right over the papers he was signing. “And your partnership with Gabriel Miller is officially over.”
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