Page 97 of Only the Hunter

“Sounds like what any reasonable person on personal leave from her job would do.” I don’t need to see his grin to know he’s mocking me. I can hear it. Feel it.

“If they get wind of it, in a way it fits with my reputation. If the public record shows multiple cases stalled at the same review tier, it’ll establish a pattern and provide probable cause for a deeper investigation.”

Gabe pulls the notepad toward him and picks up the pen, uncapping it with his teeth.

“Are you messaging someone?”

“Nope. Taking notes. Go on.”

“Okay.” I slip my thumbnail between my teeth, then snap my fingers—Alpine. “So, we know Alpine Refuge Network funded the facility Lina was sent to. There’s a legal path there with the Swiss corporate registry and the NGO public filings. After the death of a witness, investigating the facilities where US-transferred witnesses were housed is a natural step. And we’ll find the paper trail showing the Alpine and facility connection.” I pause and point at Gabe. Adrenaline hums through me, almost electric, chasing away everything else. This is going to work.

“Put on the list for me to do: Request DHS records on NGO certifications used for witness transfers.”

Now what else? I swing behind the desk to review Gabe’s notes. His handwriting is remarkably distinct. Each letter written with precision, like an engineer. Three other cases. Similar timing. Another snap of my fingers.

“ARGUS is showing other witnesses.”

He reads his notes. “Two recanted.”

“That’s fine. I’ll contact the victim advocates who worked those cases for a witness protection protocol review. Write that down for me to do.”

At my direction, he notates.

I think through that angle, and the tingles intensify. Advocates will want to work with me. If there’s been unusual pressure or sudden case closures, they’ll share. And they may be a source of potential cooperating witnesses.

The payment notation on his notepad grabs my attention next. Payment timing that correlates with Lina’s transfer. The legal path is to convene the grand jury and subpoena financial records. With the pattern of case obstruction plus witness deaths, that’s a racketeering predicate. If we can compel banks to produce wire transfer records, it’ll be legally obtained evidence. As a bonus, grand jury proceedings are sealed—which will buy time as we build the case.

What else? I scan his notes: The Swiss facility.

“Add this to the list. Put a formal request through the DOJ Office of International Affairs. A US witness died in a Swiss facility under suspicious circumstances. This will ensure the Swiss investigation occurs. Might even lead to potential extradition for facility staff. And this one should be a slam dunk—international requests don’t require disclosure of intelligence sources.”

“Can you do all this while you’re on leave?”

My nail glides between my teeth once more. I can’t do it all. But I have contacts. “If Meridian has former DOJ officials advising them, they know who I’d normally go to. Rebecca—my boss, the US Attorney—signed off on shutting down the case. Michael’s Main Justice, technically above me but not in my chain. Either one of them could be compromised, or neither. How do I know who’s clean?”

“Rhodes has contacts.”

“Rhodes isn’t law enforcement. I need someone with subpoena power who won’t tip off Meridian the second I file paperwork.” I’m back to pacing, aware of him tracking every step.

“What’re you thinking?”

“Well, there’s the Department of Justice Inspector General. They investigate DOJ corruption and have prosecutorial power, but they’re slow and these days are likely to defer to DOJ leadership. Not great corruption prevention. Besides, they investigate misconduct, not murder.”

“FBI?” Gabe asks.

“FBI Counterintelligence Division,” I say, picking up his lead. “They investigate foreign influence and corruption at the federal level. But if DHS is compromised, the FBI might be too.”

“There was a drive-by shooting right after you left your FBI contact.”

My lips press together. That’s a good point. “I need to know who at the FBI isn’t on Meridian’s radar.”

In theory, there should be thorough background checks to minimize the risk of any agent being compromised, but these days, you can’t count on that. “There are federal prosecutors outside of DC. They’ve got jurisdiction over RICO cases—less likely to be under Meridian’s influence network. But that’s a slower timeline.” I point at Gabe. “Write down Southern District of New York. They don’t answer to DC politics. I’ll explore that angle.”

His pen moves against the paper.

“Isn’t there a group dedicated to rooting out public corruption?”

“The Public Corruption Task Force. But it’s multi-agency, which means greater potential for leaks. If even one person on the task force is compromised.” I click my tongue as that’s all that’s needed for Gabe to comprehend.