Chapter 3 - The Inside Man
Sarah knew she couldn't just break Lily out; Victoria had weaponized the legal system. If Sarah acted recklessly, she and Lily would both end up behind bars. She needed a tactical advantage.
She reached out to Detective Marcus Thorne, an old friend whose life she had saved during a joint task force operation years ago. Thorne was now a senior investigator with the state police, operating outside of Victoria Sterling’s sphere of local influence.
"This Sterling woman has been absorbing vulnerable kids into her private facilities to bilk state funding," Thorne explained over a secure line. "But we haven't been able to prove it. She isolates the kids and discredits them. We need a confession, Sarah. Something rock solid."
"I’ll get it," Sarah promised.
May you like
Using her military clearance and a few called-in favors, Sarah procured a micro-recording device. She couldn't wear it herself—Victoria's security team would wand her at the door. But Sarah knew how the facility operated. She knew the orderlies changed shifts at 3:00 PM.
She just needed three minutes alone in that sterile white hallway.
