Ethan stood next to the overturned desk, the rifle still smoking in his hands. Director Brown whimpered on the floor, clutching his bleeding thigh, the dignity of his impeccable suit lost.

Hayes took the phone from her ear.

"Miller confirmed that the convoy reached Oakwood. They were ambushed on the way, just as we feared," Hayes declared, deliberately looking at Director Brown. "The eight escort vehicles fled the scene." Hayes paused, the gravity of her words hanging in the air.

"Hayes," Ethan asked, his gaze fixed on the whimpering Director Brown. "Did what we expected happen?"

"Yes, Ethan," Hayes confirmed, taking a deep breath and regaining his professional tone. "Miller and his men are being attended to and are already in state custody. At this moment, the legal team activated Phase Two. Miller's report regarding the failure and flight of the escort is already in the hands of local authorities."

"The eight individuals responsible for those escort vehicles will be detained for dereliction of duty, negligence, and possibly criminal abandonment. They will inform us as soon as there is a development," Hayes concluded.

"Excellent. The legal file is settled. Do you hear this, Director Brown? The situation doesn't look too good for you or for the son of a bitch, Congressman Vance," Ethan said, a cold, humorless curve on his lips, turning to the fallen Director.

Ethan approached the wounded Director Brown, who shrank back against the wall. Ethan stood over him, a terrifying figure in the blood-stained orange jumpsuit.

"Director Brown, let's excuse you with the pleasantries. You have committed several serious errors in the last twelve hours," Ethan stated, his voice lethal and measured.

"I—I don't know what you are talking about! This is an act of terrorism! I will have you arrested and executed!" Brown squeaked, trying to deny it.

"Arrested? By whom? The guards you had deliberately pulled from the cell block to ensure my execution? The guards currently unconscious on your floor?" Ethan chuckled, a sound like grinding gravel.

"Let's talk about the convoy," Ethan continued, crouching down and bringing his face close to Brown's. "The transfer of my twenty-five allies—whose sentences were mysteriously reduced—was orchestrated by you and Vincent Halbert to eliminate my protection."

"That's insane! I was just following protocol!" Brown stammered, sweat pouring down his face.

"Protocol?" Ethan roared, suddenly slamming his fist against the desk beside Brown's head. "The protocol was not for those eight armored vehicles to flee the moment the ambushers appeared, leaving five loyal guards and twenty-five unarmed men to be massacred! The Warden just confirmed that to me! That wasn't negligence, Brown; that was warfare and criminal abandonment."

"It wasn't me! It was an operational decision! I had no control over the escort detail!" Brown squeezed his eyes shut.

"Lies," Ethan said, his voice cold and unwavering. "Your biggest mistake, however, was what you did here. You withdrew the rest of the loyal guards from this block and sent thirty useless animals armed with shivs into my cell to finish the job. You attempted to murder a federal inmate within his cell, Director. That is the highest level of conspiracy."

Hayes shuddered, listening from the floor.

"I need names, Director," Ethan demanded, his eyes fixed on Brown. "You work for Vance and Vincent. I need to know every single guard, politician, and mole they have placed in this facility and beyond. I need to know every financial transfer and every encrypted communication. You are going to give me all of it, or I will use your body to broadcast a message to Vincent that he will never forget. Understand?"

Director Brown's composure finally shattered. The pain from his leg, the terror of the Ethan's chilling threat proved too much.

"I... I understand! Please, just stop!" Brown shrieked, tears and sweat streaming down his face. "It was Vincent! He organized the payment through a shell company in the Cayman Islands! Vance approved the transfer of the funds and the reduction of the sentences to create the legal loophole. They thought if the convoy was massacred, the inmates would be dead, and the folios would vanish, leaving no evidence of the reduced sentences! They paid 'El Diablo' ten thousand cash to stage the first attack inside the block, just in case! My role was to sign the transfer papers and ensure the escort vehicles were filled with men loyal to Vance's camp who would flee on signal!" Brown gasped, spitting out names and dates in a hysterical torrent.

Warden Hayes, seeing the Director completely broken, took a deep, shuddering breath and found her professional authority again. She had just witnessed the entire federal conspiracy confession.

"Guards! Focus on the vital points!" Hayes commanded, her voice surprisingly steady, barking orders to the two stunned, uninjured guards who had entered with Brown. "Secure the perimeter! Get medical attention immediately for all wounded personnel, starting with the guards!"

Hayes took charge, her priority shifting from self-preservation to damage control and legal compliance.

Ethan watched her for a moment, satisfied she had fully turned. "Your phone, Director," Ethan requested.

Hayes immediately handed him her personal device. Ethan dialed a secure number. Mr. Stone answered on the first ring.

"Mr. Stone, it's Ethan," Ethan said, his voice cold and commanding. "The transfer succeeded. My men are safe. The conspiracy is confirmed. I have the confession, the motive, and the proof of the escort's abandonment. I need you to do something now."

"Tell me," Stone's grave voice replied.

"I want you to use everything. The media, the news, the Senate ethics committee. I don't care what the cost is, I want this case, the attempted murder of a federal inmate and the assassination attempt on thirty people, to be the biggest political scandal of the decade. Blow Congressman Vance wide open," Ethan ordered.

"Consider it done," Stone promised.

Ethan ended the call and dialed a second number. "Max," Ethan said when the line connected. "Tell your father it's time. Tell him the game is over and the pieces are set. He needs to make his move, now."

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