“He provides information on wealthy taxpayers, lists of properties, data on heirs, marital status, and he also provides protection. If any relative suspects, he buries the case.”
“In exchange for what?”
“Half of the profits. Ortega takes the largest share, but he also runs the greatest risk.”
“And now, now he probably wants to get rid of me. I know too much about his connections, his foreign accounts, his shell companies.”
“Ethan, what if the investigation guarantees your safety?”
“What safety? Ortega has connections in the DA’s office, in the courts, in the prison. He will get to meet anywhere.”
Emily realized she had obtained crucial information. Now she just had to use it correctly.
“And what if you escape?”
“Escape to where? I am in a detention center. Anything can happen. A transfer to court, a medical checkup.”
“Even if you escape, where would you go? Without money, without documents, to see Uncle Nick? He will help you if you are useful to him.”
“Ortega would only help me hide if I am useful to him. And now I am a risk and a burden to him.”
“But if you offer him something valuable.”
“Like what?”
“For example, information about the investigation, what they know and what they do not.”
Ethan thought about it.
“You know, maybe you are right. If I tell Ortega how the investigation is going, warn him of the danger, maybe he will help me flee the country.”
“Try to contact him from here. All calls are monitored through a lawyer or by passing a note to a cellmate.”
Emily, are you sure you are on my side? You are not working for the investigation.
Emily pretended to be hurt.
“Ethan, I am your wife, the mother of your children. Of course, I will always be on your side.”
“Sorry, I think I am going crazy in these walls.”
“I understand. The important thing is that we find a way to get you out of here.”
Ethan believed in his wife’s sincerity and promised to try to contact Ortega.
Emily left with a sense of victory. In the car, she immediately called Colonel Black.
“Samuel, I have a name. Nicholas Ortega, deputy commissioner of the IRS.”
“Ortega. Wow. We have long suspected his corruption, but we had no proof. Now we will. Ethan is willing to contact him.”
“Excellent. Let’s start the operation.”
The operation to capture Ortega was called Operation Vengeance. Colonel Black personally supervised every stage. Emily had been a crucial part of the chain, but her active participation ended there.