Part 2
I didn’t flinch under Judge Henderson’s icy glare. Releasing the tension in my shoulders, I unclipped the M210 sniper rifle with practiced fluidity and handed it to the bailiff, a burly Marine veteran whose eyes widened the moment he handled the weapon and noticed the specific operational markings on the receiver.
“Your Honor,” I spoke, my voice ringing out with absolute clarity. “I apologize for the physical escalation. But my safety and the security of my equipment are paramount. I was ordered directly from a deployment to this court by the Department of the Navy. I had no window for a uniform change if I wanted to save my brother.”
Bradley Vance rubbed his wrist, his face flushed with rage as he adjusted his tailored suit. “Save him? From what? His loving, wealthy parents? Your Honor, this woman is a ghost! She claims she loves her brother, yet her military records for the last five years are completely blank. She is never home. She’s an absentee sister who lives a fantasy life while her parents provide a luxury estate for young Toby.”
I turned my gaze slowly toward Vance. The sheer, freezing weight of my stare made the slick lawyer take a half-step back.
