Chapter 79 – On the Brink of Truth
May 11, 2014 – Sunday – 6:27 AM
Pearson Hardman – Logan Moore's Office
The city lights were still slowly coming on, but on the 51st floor of Pearson Hardman, the light had never gone out. Logan had been there since before sunrise. On his desk was a bound copy of what was now known in the press as the "Black Sentinel Dossier": the complete complaint against Atlas Guardian, with attachments, reports, forensic evidence, testimonies, and records connecting the company to extrajudicial executions outside of war zones.
On the wall, a timeline. Every name, every date, every topic.
Rachel walked in with two mugs of coffee.
"Did you sleep?"
Logan just looked at her.
"Answer enough," she said, handing him the mug. "Security is already reinforced." Three federal agents, two former JSOC operators hired by Jessica. Secure entrances, key-locked elevators, a monitored perimeter. It feels more like Langley than Manhattan.
Logan took a sip of coffee and replied:
"We're about to confront what many people thought was untouchable. They knew how to hide. We're just shining a light on it."
Rachel hesitated before continuing:
"The trial is being called the 'digital Nuremberg' in academic circles. Some universities are broadcasting the testimony live in the auditoriums."
"This is bigger than we imagined," Logan said. "And that's why we have to be even more precise."
May 12 – Monday – 9:00 AM
Strategy Room – Pearson Hardman
Logan, Rachel, Mike, Jessica, Harvey, Donna, and Mariana Wells were gathered in a rehearsal session.
On the screen: a slide with the order of the testimonies, divided into thematic blocks:
Contractual assignment and the clauses that allowed lethal action
The executions: dates, locations, victim profiles
Internal documents and the role of key executives
The indirect involvement of government sectors
The testimony of the whistleblower ("A.")
Legal conclusion: Atlas's criminal and civil liability
Logan pointed with a laser pointer.
"Let's start with the fundamentals. If we try to excite the jury too soon, we risk appearing sensationalist. The facts come first. The pain comes later."
Mariana raised her hand.
"A. is nervous. Very nervous. He knows he'll be a target. Even with protection. Are you going to prepare him?"
"In person," Logan said. "Tonight."
Harvey crossed his arms.
"And the defense?"
"They'll try to characterize everything as a 'combat environment.'" But we have maps, reports, and, most importantly, satellite positioning data that prove the areas were not conflict zones.
Jessica added:
"And the most serious thing: no formal authorization. Not an email. Not a mission note. The deaths occurred in a bureaucratic vacuum—which makes it all the more lethal."
May 13 – Tuesday – 6:40 PM
Whistleblower's Refuge – Chelsea
Logan sat with "A." in a quiet room. A security guard stood outside. Rachel accompanied them.
"Everything is ready for your testimony. The judge authorized the use of encrypted visual biometrics. Your face will be masked by a filter, and your voice will be distorted."
"And yet they'll recognize me," A. said. "Anyone who knew me will know."
"You're doing this for the country. For the truth. For the victims."
A. was silent for a moment, then said:
"They told me when I joined Atlas that we were protecting the world. That we were the shield. But today I see... we were just the curtain."
Logan put his hand on his shoulder.
"Now you're the window."
May 14 – Wednesday – 7:05 AM
Pearson Hardman – War Room
Last day before trial.
Logan went through each statement with Rachel and Mariana. Rehearsing each question. Each possible answer. Direct confrontation. Tactics.
"What if the Atlas lawyer tries to force A. to contradict himself?" Rachel asked.
"He won't. Because his answers were built on facts. And truth stands on its own. Always."
Mike added an update:
"The defense team changed three names on the witness list. One of them is a former CIA officer." The other is the former Atlas national security advisor. And the third… is an investigative journalist who published a story yesterday trying to link A. to radical groups.
Jessica reacted immediately:
"They'll try to turn the accusation around. Make Logan and the whistleblower out to be villains."
Harvey smirked.
"They'll play dirty. We'll play fair."
Logan concluded:
"They have the secrets. But we have the light."
May 15 – Thursday – 12:03 AM
Logan's Apartment
Logan was reviewing the pages of the opening statement alone.
"This isn't just a case against a company. It's an indictment of the logic that says power doesn't need explanation. That human life is an operational cost."
"Justice isn't an idea. It's a line. And when it's crossed, someone needs to say, 'Not here.'"
He stopped, looked at the wall where three photographs hung: the victims of the accusation. Simple men. Fathers. Brothers. One was a teacher. The other worked at an NGO. The third, a street artist.
Logan closed the folder. He took a deep breath.
And whispered, as if speaking to them:
"Tomorrow, you will be heard."
May 15 – Thursday – 7:00 AM
Federal Court – Manhattan
The city was in a forced silence. Barricades were set up nearby. Security drones hovered overhead. Journalists lined up, crowds lined the sidewalks, and live broadcasts in multiple languages.
On the courthouse steps, a sign held by a young law student read:
"Justice does not classify. Justice reveals."
Logan climbed the steps with Rachel at his side. At the entrance, a crowd fell silent—not out of fear, but out of respect.
Inside the courthouse, the session was about to begin.
Logan straightened his tie. Adjusted his lapel. Closed his briefcase.
And said, more to himself than to anyone else:
"Truth marches on."
Chapter 80 – The First Light
May 15, 2014 – Thursday – 9:00 AM
Federal Court – Southern District of New York – Courtroom 3C
Silence. Not the usual silence of a hearing, but a dense, almost ritual silence. Journalists, law students, NGO representatives, and federal agency officials filled the galleries. A few political figures watched discreetly, behind sunglasses and discreet escorts.
Logan Moore, standing, in a perfectly tailored dark gray suit, adjusted his tie slightly before walking to the center of the room. Judge Henry R. Matheson, 68, a veteran of the federal court system, was at the helm. His reputation was for firmness and clarity and this reassured Logan.
Across the room were the lawyers from Atlas Guardian: Peter Halvorsen, a cool, technical man with a reputation as a ruthless corporate lawyer, and Clara Duran, an expert in international security and contract law. Beside them, CEO Jonathan Kray stood rigid, as if his personal image could withstand what was to come.
The judge checked his watch and declared:
"Court assembled. We now begin the trial of Moore v. Atlas Guardian, case 1482-14, concerning the formal accusation of extrajudicial executions contracted through private entities with possible indirect institutional consent. Prosecution, please."
Logan Moore's Opening Remarks
Logan took two steps forward. His gaze swept over the jurors twelve ordinary people, now charged with judging what no one had previously dared to even speak of.
His voice, as he began, was firm, unhurried:
"Your Honor. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury."
"Today, in this room, we do not talk about ideologies. We do not discuss patriotism. We do not judge war decisions. What we bring here is more direct. Simpler. Three men dead. No trial. No defense. No proven motive. Just execution."
Absolute silence.
"Atlas Guardian, contracted by the federal government to provide security and operational support services, crossed the line between protection and predation. And they did so based on verbal orders, without records, without auditing, and—most importantly without legal authorization."
Logan stepped forward.
"The defense will try to convince you it was a mistake. A miscommunication. Collateral damage."
"But it wasn't."
"It was a system. Designed to operate in the shadows. And now, that shadow is in the light. And it's up to you... to see it."
He stepped back. The judge thanked him.
"Defense?"
Opening Statement by the Defense – Peter Halvorsen
Halvorsen stood. He walked slowly, his posture controlled.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you will hear many dramatic words. 'Execution.' 'Murder.' 'System.'
"But at the heart of this case is a simple question: the reality on the ground."
He held up a folder.
"The victims mentioned were present at locations associated with known operations, in countries with a history of harboring extremist cells. Our operatives responded to identified threat protocols. No one acted with the intent to kill innocent people."
"And, gentlemen, the complainant whom you will hear today is not impartial. He was fired for violating internal procedures. He has personal motivation. And he is the only link in the prosecution's case, with allegations that are not supported by a formal chain."
Halvorsen glanced at Logan quickly.
"The prosecution wants to rewrite the rules of the game. But the real world... doesn't follow legal scripts. It demands action. And that action, sometimes... demands difficult decisions."
10:42 AM – First break
In the prosecution's private room, Logan was washing his face.
"You were resolute," Rachel said.
"They'll try to paint chaos as courage." I'll show it was cowardice disguised as duty.
Mike entered with a warning.
"A. is ready. But nervous."
"This is it," Logan replied.
11:05 AM – Testimony of "A."
The jury watched as "A." entered the courtroom, his face covered by authorized graphic filtering technology. His voice would be distorted to protect his identity.
The judge confirmed the protocols. Logan began.
"Please state your role at Atlas Guardian."
"I was a senior IT analyst, with access to mission logs, militarized VPN channels, and field operator reports."
"Were you aware of actions involving executions?"
"Yes. Three specific reports, linking field actions to verbal orders. I saw them. And I downloaded copies."
"Did you share this with anyone?"
"I tried to alert a superior. I was removed from my position two days later. My access was revoked." I received anonymous threats the following week.
Logan handed over the printed reports.
"These are the files?"
"Yes."
"Were these documents tampered with?"
"No. They are complete. And they show that there was no formal authorization for the lethal actions carried out."
The tension in the room was palpable.
Cross-examination – Clara Duran
"Mr. A., you were removed for violating internal procedures. Is that correct?"
"I was removed after reporting illegal conduct."
"Do you maintain active political convictions?"
"I vote. That's all."
"And you think you understood the reports correctly?"
"I understood enough to know when a company is killing under pretext."
Silence.
Clara backed away.
1:20 PM – Recess
In the defense room, Halvorsen and Kray were arguing in low voices.
"He didn't waver," Kray said irritably.
"It doesn't matter. We'll attack the chain of custody. And then... we'll present the letter that he had already been warned about 'paranoid delusions' by colleagues."
In the prosecution room, Logan stared intently at the documents.
Rachel asked:
"And now?"
"Now we've shown that the killings weren't an exception. They were a method."
Behind the Scenes – Washington, D.C. – Department of Defense
The Assistant Secretary for Operational Security's phone was ringing off the hook.
"This is getting out of hand. There are already lawmakers calling for a commission of inquiry. The international press is calling it 'the new Black Ops scandal.' If this continues…"
"Then neutralize it."
"We can't touch him directly. But we can discredit the case. Leak contradictions. Invent ideological connections."
"Do it."
5:00 PM – Closing of the First Day
The judge adjourned the session. Logan said goodbye to the team, refusing transportation with heightened security.
Rachel insisted:
"Logan, this is getting heavy. It's stirring up the backrooms in Washington."
"I know."
"And yet… you seem calm."
Logan replied:
"Because the truth is a seed. Today… it touched the ground. Now… it will grow."
I created a "new story" here, where you can read the first chapter of my new stories that are already posted on my Patreon or are being posted little by little, 2 chapters per day, to read them in full, just go to my Patreon
[email protected]/SHADOWGHOST07
Just replace the @ with an a