Two weeks had passed since Uriel Zander contacted Jake Oliver and Leo Ramirez, and by day, the pressure concerning the case of Caden Spears was getting bigger. For nights on end, Uriel had stayed in his office amidst the piling files, phone records, and logs of surveillance. By this time, however, he knew that the case presented by the FBI remained airtight. The years of building this, with little room for error, were beginning to weigh heavy on Uriel's shoulders. Today, though, Jake and Leo were back with their findings, and Uriel hoped they had uncovered something that would go toward turning the tide in his favor.

Jake was the first to arrive at Uriel's office, overall casual demeanor replaced with a seriousness that caught Uriel's attention immediately.

"What did you find?" Uriel asked, gesturing for Jake to sit.

Jake tossed a small file onto the table. "I dug into the witnesses like you asked. It took some digging, but I found something on two of the FBI's key witnesses. One of them, an ex-associate of Caden's, cut a deal: Luis Ortega. On the surface, he comes out clean, but I managed to dig up some old record the FBI didn't release—he was arrested five years ago in another trafficking ring."

Uriel raised an eyebrow. "Why wasn't that disclosed?"

"Because the charges were dropped after he agreed to become an informant." The FBI cleaned his record just to use him here, he said. You raise that in court, you cast some questions on his credibility. He's a career criminal who cuts deals to save his hide.

Uriel nodded, already seeing the angle. "Good. That gives us something to work with. What about the second witness?"

Jake leaned back in his chair. "Her name's Carla Velez. She's another cooperating witness. According to her testimony, she witnessed a number of key exchanges between Caden and other members of the trafficking ring. But here's the kicker—she's a known liar. She's been caught providing false information in two previous cases. I found she was involved in a fraud investigation three years ago, but that little detail had been omitted from the FBI's reports."

Uriel smiled faintly. "Perfect. We'll use that to discredit her on the stand. If the jury is shown she is unreliable, they will begin to question the FBI's narrative."

An hour later, Leo turned up, looking as exhausted as Uriel himself was. He sat heavily, dropping a stack of papers onto the table as he exhaled. "I've gone through every financial transaction the FBI used to connect Caden to the trafficking ring. Most checks out—money moving through shell companies, offshore accounts, the usual."

Uriel's heart sank slightly, but he waited for Leo to continue.

"However," Leo said, a small smile creeping onto his face, "I found something interesting. The money trail the FBI is relying on to link Caden to a major drug shipment? There's a discrepancy in the date. The money they claim was transferred to pay for the shipment was actually moved three days afterward from when the drugs were intercepted. Ergo, it couldn't have been for that shipment."

Uriel swooped forward, his eyes narrowing. "That's a huge mistake. If we can prove that in court it blows off their whole timeline."

Leo nodded. "Exactly. It isn't going to unravel the integrity of the entire case but it will be enough to raise any juror's question about the FBI's narrative."

A surge of hope felt its way within Uriel. They finally had some leverage over something. By taking Jake's findings on the witnesses and Leo's on the financial discrepancies, they were finally in a position to make some gaping holes in what, for all intents and purposes, had been an ironclad FBI case.

He now had at his disposal information to move for a speedy trial. If he could get the trial heard sooner, the FBI would have no time to collate further evidence or prepare alternative strategies. This was a long shot, but Uriel had won cases on slim chances before.

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Uriel rose before the judge, his voice calm but firm. "Your Honor, in light of the evidence so far presented, I think it serves the best interest of justice that this case must be fast-tracked and go to trial as soon as possible. A speedy trial would avoid unnecessary delay and serve to protect my client's rights."

The judge was not convinced. He turned to the government attorneys, who simply sat and continued to smile at one another, faces filled with smug satisfaction. The FBI had anticipated this.

"Mr. Zander," he began, his tone firm, "I understand your motion; however, I cannot grant a speedy trial in this matter. Given the extent of the indictment and the complexity of the investigation, it is incumbent on both parties to be adequately prepared. Motion for a speedy trial is denied."

Uriel clamped his teeth but nodded respectfully. "Understood, Your Honor."

As he left the courtroom, Uriel realized that this was a setback. He had hoped to take the FBI by surprise, but they saw it coming. The trial would take its course from here on, and it was a matter for Uriel to ensure that he was prepared for any eventuality that the prosecution might throw at him.

Later that afternoon, Uriel and Karen traveled down to the detention center to meet once more with Caden Spears. Caden had been becoming increasingly anxious about the trial, and today Uriel needed to give him a realistic update on his chances.

Caden sat across from Uriel and Karen, the normal confidence chipped away by the pressure of the trial looming over him. "How are we looking?" Caden asked, his voice taut with nervousness.

Uriel leaned forward, an expression of seriousness upon his face. "We have some leverage. Jake found dirt on two of the FBI's key witnesses, and Leo found a discrepancy in their financial timeline. We're in a better position than we were two weeks ago, but we still have a fight ahead of us."

Caden nodded slowly, but something was off with him. Uriel picked it up right away—the hesitation, the nervous energy that Caden was trying to suppress.

"What's going on, Caden?" Uriel asked, his tone sharp. "You're keeping something."

Caden said, his swallow audible as he looked between Uriel and Karen, lowering his voice. "There's something I didn't tell either of you. I was thinking it did not matter, but... I cannot keep it inside."

Uriel's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Caden exhaled slowly, what he had to say weighing heavy upon him. "I'm not quite the innocent I have been claiming. I am not the kingpin they are trying to make me out to be, but neither am I totally clean. I was involved in the ring, but I'm lower-level. The guys above me? They are the real ones running the show. And they have leverage on me—video evidence, recordings of things I've done. If I attempt to get out or flip on them, they'll release it all."

Uriel's mind was churning, but he kept his face expressionless. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

Caden shook his head. "I thought I could get through this without it coming out, but the truth is, they're using me to take the heat off their operations. The brass threw me under the bus to save their own skin. I'm the fall guy."

Karen's face paled as the implications hit home. "So, you don't think the organization sold you out to save their own skins?"

Caden nodded miserably. "Yeah. They know if I take the fall, the authorities won't go after the rest of the network. I'm expendable."

Uriel sat back in his chair; his mind reeled with possibilities. Everything just changed. The fact that Caden was involved—even at a lower level—meant that Uriel needed to adjust his entire defense strategy. And if this organization had him as its scapegoat, there might be a way to turn that to their advantage.

Karen finally broke the silence. "Do you think they're still watching you? Controlling what happens next?"

Caden shrugged helplessly. "I wouldn't be surprised. They're powerful. They had their fingers in every pie."

Uriel's jaw clenched. He got the feeling that this case was more immense than even the Feds realized. It was possible that the real leaders of the trafficking ring were still operating in the shadows, using Caden as a decoy, in which case Uriel could turn the tables. But it would be riskier, more dangerous than anything he'd ever taken on.

"We'll get to the bottom of this," Uriel said, steady. "But I need you to be completely truthful with me from now on. No more secrets."

Caden nodded, guilt etched across his face. "I promise."

As they emerged from the juvenile detention center, Uriel and Karen walked a little while in silence, each lost in thought. Finally, Karen spoke, low. "This changes everything. If the organization really sold him out, then they're going to continue using him until it suits them. What are we going to do?"

Uriel's eyes darkened and his jaw set. "We're going to find out who's pulling the strings. And we're going to make sure the jury knows exactly what's going on."