His six-month-old nephew had vanished, but when Gabriel found him alive in a safe room, the baby was sleeping in the arms of a badly injured woman who knew far too much.

The courtroom was smaller than the situation deserved.

Emergency injunction hearings at nine in the morning had a particular quality — fluorescent light, too much coffee, attorneys who had been awake all night pretending they hadn't.

Sterling's legal team occupied one side of the aisle: three attorneys, a paralegal, and a man in a gray suit who sat slightly apart from the others and whose presence Hargrove had flagged as Sterling's personal fixer.

Sterling himself was not present.

Gabriel noted that.

Hargrove set his materials on the table without hurrying.

He was sixty-two, gray-haired, and had the courtroom manner of someone who had seen every version of this particular play and found most of them mildly tedious.

The lead attorney for Sterling's side was a younger man named Pratt who opened with confidence and a thick filing that he placed before the judge with visible satisfaction.

"Your Honor, the Romano organization's shipping licenses represent a significant public interest concern given the documented evidence of last night's staged incident, which we believe was orchestrated to—"

"Mr.

Pratt," the judge said.

She was in her late fifties, and she had read the filing before entering.

"I've reviewed your submission.

You have an affidavit from a Thomas Vail claiming the convoy attack was Romano-initiated.

Is Mr.

Vail present?"

A pause.

"Mr.

Vail is available by—"

"Is he present in this courtroom?"

"He is not, Your Honor.

We anticipated that a written affidavit would be—"

"Mr.

Hargrove," the judge said.

Hargrove stood.

"Your Honor, we'd like to submit three items in response.

First, the original convoy modification order bearing a forged signature — our forensic analysis, completed this morning, confirms the signature is not Mr.

Romano's.

Second, a voluntary written statement from the Romano employee who provided convoy scheduling information to Sterling's organization under financial duress.

Third, a signed witness statement from a Romano employee who was present at the warehouse location used by Sterling's operatives last night and who can place a named Sterling associate — one identified as Reeves — at the scene of the kjdnapping."

Pratt was on his feet.

"Your Honor, we have no notice of this witness—"

"You had the same night I did, Mr.

Pratt," Hargrove said pleasantly.

The judge looked at the three documents Hargrove had placed before her.

She read in silence for ninety seconds.

Pratt tried twice more to speak.

The judge did not look up.

When she finished, she set the documents down.

"Mr.

Pratt, your emergency injunction request is denied.

The affidavit from Mr.

Vail, absent his presence for examination and in light of the counter-evidence submitted this morning, does not meet the threshold for emergency relief." She looked at him over her glasses.

"I would also suggest that before your client pursues further legal action in this matter, he consider whether the evidence now on record creates exposure in directions he may not have anticipated."

Pratt's jaw was tight.

"Your Honor—"

"We're adjourned."

Outside in the corridor, Hargrove allowed himself one small satisfied exhale.

"The forensic report on the signature," Gabriel said quietly.

"How solid is it?"

"Solid enough that if Sterling's team tries to challenge it, they'll need their own expert, and their own expert will reach the same conclusion." Hargrove tucked his files under his arm.

"The Vail affidavit is the more interesting problem.

Vail signed a document making serious allegations.

When this unravels — and it will — he faces potential perjury exposure.

Sterling's people will try to insulate themselves from that."

"Let them try."

"The witness statement," Hargrove said carefully.

"Ms.

Carver.

She understands what she's stepped into."

"She understands."

"Sterling will know by noon that she gave that statement."

"I know."