Chapter 6 - The Unraveling of Dr. Vance
By six o'clock the following morning, the storm had finally passed, leaving the sky over the city a clear, cold shade of winter blue.
In the executive boardroom on the top floor of St. Jude’s Hospital, Dr. Julian Vance sat at the long mahogany table, surrounded by four high-priced defense attorneys provided by Vanguard Pharmaceuticals.
He was sipping a fresh cup of espresso, looking entirely relaxed as he reviewed a legal motion to impound all evidence gathered during the night.
"They have no standing, Julian," his lead attorney said, tapping a leather folder. "The search of the child's personal property was conducted without a targeted search warrant. We will have the notebook excluded from any grand jury proceeding before the end of the day."
The heavy double doors of the boardroom were suddenly thrown open.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Vance (no relation to Julian) stepped into the room, flanked by six Federal Bureau of Investigation agents in dark suits and Officer Natalie Reed.
Dr. Vance set his espresso cup down slowly, a cold smirk touching his lips. "Eleanor. I assume you’re here to apologize for the unlawful detention of my security personnel downstairs?"
Eleanor Vance did not smile. She tossed a thick, seventy-page federal indictment document onto the mahogany table directly in front of him.
"Dr. Julian Vance," Eleanor announced, her voice echoing clearly in the silent room. "You are under arrest by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for conspiracy to commit human experimentation without informed consent, corporate fraud, attempted murder, and obstruction of justice."
Vance’s lead attorney stood up furiously. "This is an outrage! My client holds medical immunity under federal research grants!"
"His immunity was revoked two hours ago," an FBI special agent said, stepping forward with a pair of heavy steel handcuffs. "We executed a simultaneous search warrant on Vanguard’s headquarters in Evanston. We seized the email servers, Julian. We have your correspondence with the defense contractor detailing the deliberate override of safety protocols for Subject Ashley Miller."
Vance’s face paled until it was almost translucent. He looked at Natalie, who stood near the door with her arms crossed, watching him with cold, unyielding eyes.
"You took the word of a deadbeat factory worker over a board-certified physician," Vance whispered, his voice shaking with a sudden, terrifying realization.
"Andrew Miller isn't a deadbeat, Doctor," Natalie said clearly. "He walked four miles through a storm with a broken shoulder to save his daughter's life. You couldn't even stand in the same room with her without trying to cover your tracks."
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The FBI agent pulled Vance’s arms behind his back, snapping the steel cuffs around his wrists with a sharp, echoing click.
As Vance was led out of the boardroom in disgrace, the legal team surrounding him quietly closed their leather briefcases, stepped away from the table, and left him to face the dark reality of his future alone.
