Briggs hesitates for a visible moment. Sir… You heard my order. Those papers could be fraudulent. Devon holds the documents tightly against his chest. They are notarized copies of my property ownership records and the official scientific grant documentation. Judge Harmon leans in close enough for Devon to smell coffee on his breath. You think you’re so smart?
You think a stack of papers will somehow save you? You are nothing inside these walls. Remember that lesson. A courthouse administrator approaches at that exact moment. Judge Harmon, there’s an urgent call for you on the secure line. The judge backs away slowly. This conversation is not finished. He follows the administrator inside without another word.
Devon waits until both men have disappeared, then turns calmly to Officer Briggs. I only want my project returned before it is permanently destroyed. Briggs looks genuinely uncomfortable for the first time. Kid, just drop this entire thing. He won’t let it go, and neither will I. Why are you continuing to follow what appear to be illegal orders? Devon asks quietly.
Briggs glances around carefully, then lowers his voice. Look, I’ve only got three years left until full retirement. Don’t make this situation harder than it already is. Is your pension really worth destroying evidence of environmental discrimination? Briggs does not answer aloud, but the conflict visible on his face speaks volumes. Who made that urgent call to Judge Harmon, and what is coming next that none of them can yet see?
By early afternoon, Devon sits determinedly on a wooden bench outside Judge Harmon’s courtroom, refusing to leave the building until someone in authority properly addresses his property claim.
Several attorneys pass by throughout the hours, glancing at him with open curiosity. One finally stops—a middle-aged woman with sharp, intelligent eyes and a no-nonsense demeanor.
You’ve been sitting here all day. Court business? I’m trying to recover my confiscated property before it is destroyed this afternoon. She sits down beside him without hesitation. I’m Laura Chen from the public defender’s office.
What exactly was taken from you? Devon explains the full situation carefully, showing her the remaining documentation he still carries. Judge Harmon, she says, shaking her head slowly. He has a well-earned reputation. Let me make a couple of calls.
