May 8, 2014 – Thursday – 7:03 AM
Pearson Hardman – Logan Moore's Office
The sun had barely risen when Logan was already in the office, tieless, sleeves rolled up, his eyes fixed on a new stack of documents that had arrived at dawn: formal subpoenas, notices from the federal court, and an unofficial warning from the DOJ's Homeland Security Division.
The words were clear:
"Your safety and that of the whistleblower are now formally under observation. Containment measures have been activated."
Rachel walked in shortly after, visibly tense.
"Have you seen this?" she said, handing over a tablet with headlines from news outlets across the country.
"Logan Moore Defies the Pentagon—and Wins the First Battle" – Politico
"The Lawyer Forcing the Government to Explain the Unexplainable" – CNN
"Hero or Insubordinate? Moore's Lonely Crusade" – The New York Times
"Moore Poses Threat to Intelligence Operational Integrity, Says Former NSA Official" – Fox News
"They're trying to create the narrative that I'm unstable," Logan commented, without taking his eyes off the papers. "They won't succeed."
Rachel hesitated, then showed another notification:
"This came from a private number. It arrived at Mariana's email, not yours."
"You think you survived the last time. But now we're watching. There are no second chances for those who betray."
Logan took a deep breath.
"I expected it."
"Logan, this is serious."
"It's precisely because it's serious that I'm going to continue. The threat is the sound of the truth making you uncomfortable."
9:15 AM – Security Room – Pearson Hardman
Jessica Pearson, accompanied by Harvey and Donna, called an emergency meeting.
"Starting today," Jessica said, "all communications between Logan and the whistleblower will be encrypted through the firm's own channel. Private security has been doubled. And the counterintelligence team we hired will operate 24-hour shifts."
Harvey looked at Logan.
"Do you really want to go through with this? Because if you stop… no one will judge you."
Logan answered without hesitation.
"The only thing worse than facing this… would be pretending I didn't see it."
Jessica nodded.
"Then let's prepare you for the trial of the century."
11:32 AM – Secure Location – Brooklyn Heights
In the undercover apartment, "A."—the whistleblower—paced anxiously. Logan arrived, escorted.
"Have you seen what they're saying about me?" "A." asked. as Logan entered. "They say I was part of an eco-terrorist group, that I'm emotionally unstable, that I falsified documents…"
"All the documents have been forensically examined. You're protected."
"That won't protect me when they try to expose me publicly."
Logan put his hand on her shoulder.
"I'm going to place you under formal protection under the Witness Protection Program. I've already started the process with Mariana. But for that, you'll need to do something even more difficult…"
"What?"
"Testify. In open court. With your face covered, if necessary. But they'll hear you."
The whistleblower was silent. After a long minute, he nodded.
"I just want people to know what happened."
"And they will know. I promise."
2:20 PM – Strategy Room – Pearson Hardman
With everyone gathered, Logan began the legal strategy division.
"Atlas will file an injunction to disqualify the complainant. Pretext: 'emotional instability' and 'political motivation.'"
Rachel said:
"But he's already undergone psychological evaluation. And he passed."
"Exactly. We have the reports, signed by independent professionals."
Harvey picked up a folder.
"The CEO of Atlas also hired two former CIA directors as consultants. They'll try to claim the deaths were 'collateral damage in a conflict zone' even though they occurred outside any area officially recognized as a war zone."
Logan replied:
"We're going to deconstruct this. Map by map. Date by date."
Jessica looked at everyone.
"This trial will shake up structures much larger than this room. We're about to confront what the government considers 'necessary'... with what the Constitution considers 'legal.'"
Silence.
Logan closed the folder and said:
"Then let's show the difference between a mistake and a crime."
5:50 PM – Breaking News Interview – MSNBC
Logan appeared, unannounced, on the special program of journalist Carmen Vega, known for her direct and unfiltered approach.
"Dr. Moore, you are being accused of threatening national security. How do you respond?"
"I threaten only that which lurks in the darkness. What cannot bear the light... does not deserve to remain."
"Some suggest that you are placing yourself above the country itself."
"The country is not made of contracts. It is made of principles. And if those are betrayed... then the country is betrayed from within."
The interview went viral even before the block ended.
9:30 PM – Logan's Apartment
In the dim light of the apartment, Logan organized his desk: documents, reports, chronological diagrams, audio recordings.
Rachel, via video, asked:
"How are you?"
"Focused."
"That's it?"
"The rest... comes after the verdict."
She smiled.
"The country will be watching. And cheering."
Logan replied:
"I don't want cheering. I want them to see the truth. And choose it."
11:58 PM – Recorded personal diary
"May 8th. The preparation begins. It's not a case. It's a mirror. The institutions are looking at themselves. And they know that the image they'll reflect... may not be pleasing."
"But mirrors don't lie. They only show."
He hung up.
And he prepared for the trial that would change everything.
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