I nod and file the name away. Senator Bree Vance. Target number one. “Who else?”
“Larry Aldridge. Real estate billionaire. University Board Chairman. He orchestrated the whole scheme and used university donations to launder money from his real estate deals. Bought first editions—Dickens, Austen, Melville. If exposed, he goes to prison for decades and loses his empire.”
Larry Aldridge. Target number two.
“David Klein. Tech CEO. University board member. Used his ‘philanthropy’ to build political connections. Bought rare scientific manuscripts to establish his intellectual credentials. Those credentials helped him secure government contracts worth billions. If exposed, he loses his company, his contracts, his reputation.”
David Klein. Target number three.
“They all have a lot to lose,” I say quietly.
“Yes. And they’ve already killed once. Jonas’s death proves they’re willing to do whatever it takes.”
Silence settles between us again.
I’m already thinking through how to take them down. How to protect Anna while the evidence goes public and make sure she survives this.
“I’ve thought about this for three years,” Anna continues. “Played it out a thousand different ways. Even if most FBI agents are honest, it only takes one person on Senator Vance’s payroll to tip her off that I’ve come forward. One person to tell her where I’m staying, what safe house they put me in.” She wraps her arms around herself. “And it’s not just the FBI. These people have billions of dollars between them. They can hire private investigators, hackers, ex-military contractors. Larry Aldridge has a whole security company on his payroll. David Klein runs a tech company with surveillance capabilities I can’t even imagine.”
She bites at her lip again. “I’ve been so careful. Burner phones, cash only, fake IDs, never staying in one place too long. And they still found me even though I’d only been at that school for less than a year. They’d been watching me in Truckee for weeks, maybe months. I was so careful and it wasn’t enough.”
“These people are used to intimidating humans but they’ve never dealt with orcs.”
She lets out a small, bitter laugh. “You think that matters?”
“I know it does. They can’t manipulate us the way they do humans and we don’t answer to their laws, their senators, their money.” I lean close. “You’re under orc protection now. That means something.”
“I’m tired, Keric,” she whispers. “I’m so tired of running. I want to fight back and I want justice for Jonas. I want his wife and daughters to know the truth. I want these people to pay for what they did and stop them from doing more of it in the future.”
“Then let’s make that happen.”
“How?”
“My family has resources. We can help you do this the right way and protect you while the evidence goes public. Make sure you’re safe when the arrests start happening.”
“You’d really help me do all that?”
“Yes. You’re not alone anymore. You don’t have to fight this battle by yourself. Let me help you.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
“Okay?”
“Okay. Let’s do it. Let’s go public. Let’s take them down.”
“We’ll be strategic. Take our time. Do it right.”
“How long?”
“A few weeks, maybe. We need to coordinate with journalists, lawyers, set up the secure uploads. Make sure everything is in place before we pull the trigger.”
“Thank you,” she says quietly. “For believing me. For not thinking I’m paranoid or crazy.”
“You’re not paranoid, you’re smart and brave. You’ve survived three years on your own against people who wanted you dead. That’s not nothing.”
Her throat works. She’s trying not to cry again.
I open my arms and she quickly moves forward and snuggles against my chest. My arms go around her and I settle my chin on her head. She lets out a deep sigh of contentment and a wide smile spreads across my face.
