Chapter 3 - Gathering the Arsenal
When Sarah came home that evening, I made sure Madeline was asleep in our bed, exhausted from crying. I sat Sarah down at the kitchen table and laid out the facts.
I expected her to panic. I expected her to cry. Instead, I watched my wife's exhaustion melt away, replaced by a cold, calculating maternal rage.
"Richard Vance," she murmured, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her coffee mug. "His son is doing this to our baby. Over a scholarship."
"They think because we're working class, we'll just roll over and take it," I said. "They think we can't fight back because they have money and power."
"They're wrong," Sarah said, her eyes flashing. "We can't go to the local police. Not yet. Vance golfs with the chief. They'll bury it, say it's just 'kids messing around with computers,' and the photos will leak anyway. We need irrefutable proof. We need to catch them in the act."
Sarah was right. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found a name I hadn't called in years: Marcus. Marcus and I had served in the military together. While I ended up turning wrenches, Marcus went into cybersecurity. He was currently working as a private investigator in the city.
I called him, explained the situation, and emailed him the files from Madeline's phone.
Two hours later, Marcus called back.
"Arthur, you're right. They're synthetic deepfakes, but they left a digital trail a mile wide. These rich kids are arrogant, not smart. The IP address used to send the emails traces back to the private network at Oakridge High. Specifically, the Principal's office."
My blood ran cold. "The Principal is in on this?"
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"Looks like it," Marcus confirmed. "Principal Evans. I dug a little deeper. Evans has a gambling debt. Vance has been paying him off to keep his kid's record clean. It's an extortion ring, Arthur. And I bet Maddie isn't the first kid they've squeezed."
The scope of this nightmare was expanding, but so was my resolve. I wasn't just dealing with a bully; I was dealing with a criminal conspiracy.
