The day of the trial for The People vs. Caden Spears had ended nothing short of a bloodbath for Uriel Zander and his defense team. Lawyers with the FBI were sharper than Uriel had anticipated, having accounted for nearly every move he would make to counter them. The way they countered him delivered fatal blows that left the defense reeling.

Uriel had attempted to set the path for his strategy—first through the anomalies in finances, then establishing the coercion narrative. However, the FBI had prepared well for such a moment. There was an explanation for everything, and their lawyers hammered the jury with tight evidence and a convincing story wherein Caden seemed to be the mastermind of the trafficking network. Uriel found himself being belted time after time at every point.

By day's end, the verdict was in: the FBI won round one, and it wasn't even close.

It wasn't until Uriel and Karen had cleared the courthouse, heading back to the office, that the reality of the day seemed to weigh heavily between them. Karen was in a daze, her pale skin a mask of scenarios replaying in her head.

"They saw it all coming, Uriel," Karen said in a near-loud tone. "Everything we prepared—discredited. It's like they knew exactly what we were going to do before we actually did."

But for the moment, Uriel said nothing. His face was cool, but his mind was racing. He, too, felt the pressure, but he couldn't afford to show it. Karen needed him to stay composed, and so did the rest of the team.

"We knew they'd be prepared," Uriel said finally, his voice steady. "This is the FBI. They've had months to build their case, and they knew we'd come at them hard. But this was only day one. Trials aren't won or lost in a single day."

Karen shook her head, still looking pale. "I don't know, Uriel. The jury sounded convinced by what the FBI had to say. They ripped our defense to shreds. What if tomorrow's the same?"

Uriel stopped, then turned to face Karen. His eyes were keen, held in a set jaw. "We adapt. That's what we do. Impossible odds have become our norm, and we've come out on top. Today was rough, but we regroup. Tonight, we brainstorm, and tomorrow, we charge in harder."

Karen stared at him for a long moment, then finally nodded, though the trouble hadn't totally left her face. "Okay. We can't afford many more setbacks, though."

"We shall not," Uriel said confidently, though inside, he knew it was going to get worse along the way.

Back in the Public Defender's Office, Tom Reardon sat riveted at his desk, eyes glued to the television while legal analysts on one of the major news channels dismembered the day's trial proceedings. The broadcast showed pieces of a packed courtroom, the lead attorney for the FBI delivering devastating blows to Uriel's arguments, and Uriel himself standing stoically as his defense was torn apart.

Reardon let out a heavy sigh, falling back in his chair. He had always believed in Uriel's talent, but this case was different. The stakes were higher than anything Uriel had faced before, and Reardon could see the cracks beginning to form. He had watched Uriel weather countless storms, but this time... this time it felt like the young attorney was in over his head.

"I don't know how he's going to turn this around," Reardon muttered to himself, rubbing his temples. "The Feds have him on the ropes."

Meanwhile, in the office, some of the young attorneys had gathered and were watching the same news report; concern was written on their faces. To them, Uriel was an icon in court, untouchable, but today was a rude awakening that even the greatest stumble.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

"Do you think he will make it?" asked David, a young lawyer, in a hushed tone.

There was a long pause before Reardon responded. He wanted to believe in Uriel, but the reality of what he had witnessed in court today made him doubt. "I don't know," he finally said. "But if anyone can, it's Zander; he's pulled off miracles before."

Later that night, Uriel and Karen were still at the office, buried in paperwork, brainstorming ways to push a prosecution rebuttal on day two. The television was softly droning in the background with the voices of various legal analysts breaking down the events of the trial.

He looked up at the screen, showing a panel of experienced attorneys and legal experts discussing the case up to that moment.

"Let's get back into what happened today in the Spears trial," one of the anchors said. "Just a brutal day for the defense, led by Uriel Zander. The FBI's team came ready and pretty much demurred nearly every argument Zander put forward. What do you make of it, Greg?"

The camera zoomed in for a close-up on Greg Hamilton; his head involuntarily shook.

"It was crystal clear that, right from the first day, the FBI must have anticipated this line of defense by Zander. They also knew he would attack the credibility of the witnesses and the financial anomalies, for which they had an answer to everything he pointed out. Yeah, Zander himself is a brilliant attorney, but the Feds didn't build a case—they built a fortress. And we saw that fortress hold today."

The camera cut to Linda Monroe, a former prosecutor who had faced the FBI in court several times. "Zander's problem is that he's trying to play the long game, yet the FBI is playing it entirely differently. They're methodical, and they have time on their side. The speedy trial was denied, and they've used those extra months to plug every hole in their case."

"If he can't find any way to surprise them, it'll make the whole thing difficult for him."

The anchor nodded, then turned to another panelist: "What about you, Mike? Does Zander stand a chance, or is this already a lost trial?"

Mike Thompson, a retired federal prosecutor, leaned forward—the seriousness of his face no longer a mask. "It's not lost yet, but Zander's margin for error is razor-thin. He needs to come back tomorrow with something completely unexpected, something the FBI hasn't prepared for. The jury has already seen how steadfast the prosecution argument is, and if Zander doesn't disrupt that momentum, it's going to be very hard to shift their perception."

Uriel listened to the analysis in silence, as his mind was already processing everything they said. The experts were right; the FBI had been ready for everything he threw at them on day one. If he continued to play by those same rules, he was outmatched.

He looked at Karen, who'd also been watching them. "They're not wrong. We need to hit them with something they won't see coming."

Karen bit her lip. "What can we use that they won't expect? They've got every angle covered."

Uriel stood and began to pace, his mind racing through possibilities. "We've been trying to poke holes in their case. Tomorrow, we go on the offensive. We don't just defend Caden; we attack the credibility of the FBI's investigation. We need to make the jury question how the FBI built their case, not just whether Caden is guilty or innocent."

Karen nodded. Understanding gradually dawned in her eyes. "You mean question the manner in which they gathered their evidence?"

Uriel stopped pacing, a gleam of determination in his eyes. "Exactly. We need to question their methods. If we can show that the FBI might have missed something or pressed witnesses too hard who were undependable, then that changes everything."

Karen smiled, and the anxiety eased off her face. "That could work, but we will have to be very careful. They'll fight back hard if we go after their investigation."

Uriel nodded. "I know. But it's our best shot."

The night wore on, and Uriel and Karen were still at the office, going through the new strategy. The tension was high, and though Uriel remained calm on the surface, inside, he felt the case weighing on him. It wasn't about winning or losing; this was about proving himself, standing up against the most powerful legal force in the country and walking away victorious.

Reardon's words still echoed in his head, the doubt he knew his boss was harboring. But Uriel couldn't afford to doubt himself now. He would step into that courtroom tomorrow with a new plan, one that for once would put the FBI on the defensive. For now, though, he could do little else but prepare and hope that tomorrow might turn out to be another day, one in which the odds could finally turn in his favor.