The trial began.
Not in a small courtroom.
In a federal court.
With the world watching.
And the cartels knew they were going to lose.
---
The courtroom was packed.
Journalists. Spectators. Families of the victims.
The cartel bosses sat at the defense table. Four of them. Victor. Ramirez. Ortega. Castillo.
They were calm. Controlled. Confident.
They had been here before.
They had never lost.
Sterling stood at the prosecution table.
Maya sat beside him.
David. Sarah. James. Others.
They were not calm.
They were not controlled.
They were ready.
---
The judge entered.
"All rise."
The room stood.
The judge sat.
"The court is now in session. The case of the United States versus the Calderon Cartel."
Sterling stepped forward.
"Your Honor, the prosecution is ready."
The defense lawyer stood.
"The defense is ready, Your Honor."
The judge nodded.
"Then let's begin."
---
Sterling walked to the jury.
Twelve people. Ordinary. Normal. Unprepared for what they were about to hear.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a case about drugs."
He paused.
"This is a case about power. About control. About the destruction of lives."
He pointed to the cartel bosses.
"These men have spent decades building an empire on the backs of the poor. The desperate. The vulnerable."
He walked to the jury box.
"They recruited lawyers. Accountants. Judges. People who were drowning in debt. People who had no other options."
He stopped.
"People like Maya Thompson."
---
Maya took the stand.
She was nervous.
Her hands were shaking.
Sterling stood in front of her.
"Ms. Thompson, please tell the jury your story."
She took a breath.
"I was two hundred thousand dollars in debt. I worked as a barista. I lived in my car."
The jury listened.
"I was approached by a man. He said he worked for a cartel. He said they needed lawyers. People who could look the other way."
She paused.
"He offered me fifty thousand dollars. Just to start. Just to say yes."
She looked at the cartel bosses.
"I almost said yes."
---
The defense lawyer stood.
"Ms. Thompson, isn't it true that you are currently employed by Damien Moreau?"
"Yes."
"Isn't it true that he paid off your student loans?"
"Yes."
"Isn't it true that he gave you an apartment? A job? A future?"
"Yes."
"So you owe him."
"No."
"You don't owe him?"
"I owe him everything."
"Same thing."
"No." She looked at the lawyer. "Different intention."
---
David took the stand.
He told his story. The debt. The desperation. The cartel.
He told about his mother. Her surgery. Her recovery.
He told about Damien. About the call. About the offer.
He told about the building. The apartment. The library.
He told about the family.
The defense lawyer cross-examined him.
"You owe Damien Moreau your life."
"I owe him my loyalty,i wont be here you wont know me if not for him,i have no student loans and every opportunity i been given still feels like a dream. All this proves the government wants we the unforunately to die broke and always poor."
Sarah took the stand.
She told her story. The debt. The desperation. The cartel.
She told about her mother. The three jobs. The sacrifices.
She told about Damien. About the call. About the offer.
She told about the building. The apartment. The kitchen.
She told about the family.
The defense lawyer cross-examined her.
"You owe Damien Moreau your freedom."
"I owe him my life,cause when the odds were against me he did something most people dont he gave me and common person a chance in a system designed to make rich richer and poor ones poorer. He gave me a job a permament apartment i never have to worry qbout housing,i have a work life balance no student loans.its like the government dont want the commoner getting a chance at a better life. I will gladly law my life down for him"
James took the stand.
He told his story. The debt. The desperation. The cartel.
He told about his kids. The separation. The loneliness.
He told about Damien. About the call. About the offer.
He told about the building. The apartment. The library.
He told about the family.
The defense lawyer cross-examined him.
"You owe Damien Moreau everything."
"I owe him nothing. He gave me a chance. I took i, i work for him. He is more human than 89% of people i know. He is like a mercyful God in human form. All this is pointless and happening cos some billionaires arent hsppy with good the couple are doing despite it been their money.
The government will do anything to keep the poor poorer with enough to est surirve but never escape the rat race
The trial lasted weeks.
Witness after witness.
Story after story.
The cartels fought back.
They threatened witnesses. Bribed jurors. Intimidated families.
But the witnesses didn't break.
The jurors didn't bend.
The families didn't run.
They had something the cartels didn't understand.
They had family.
---
The closing arguments came on a Friday.
Sterling stood before the jury.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you have heard the stories. You have seen the evidence. You have witnessed the courage of people who had nothing and were offered everything."
He paused.
"The cartels want you to believe that these witnesses are liars. That they are paid. That they are puppets."
He walked to the jury box.
"They are not puppets. They are survivors. They are not liars. They are truth-tellers. They are not paid. They are free."
He stopped.
"Find them guilty."
---
The defense lawyer stood.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the prosecution wants you to believe that my clients are monsters. That they are evil. That they are responsible for every bad thing that has ever happened to these witnesses."
He paused.
"But the truth is, these witnesses were desperate. They were drowning. They made choices. Bad choices. Choices that had nothing to do with my clients."
He walked to the jury box.
"My clients are not responsible for the choices of these witnesses. Find them not guilty."
---
The jury deliberated for three days.
The courtroom waited.
The world waited.
Damien waited.
Christabel held his hand.
"You're squeezing too hard."
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine."
"I'm nervous,but i go in there and win for the people"
The verdict came on a Monday.
The jury filed in.
The judge looked at the foreman.
"Has the jury reached a verdict?"
"We have, Your Honor."
"Read the verdict."
The foreman unfolded the paper.
"On the charge of drug trafficking, we find the defendants guilty."
The cartel bosses didn't move.
"On the charge of money laundering, we find the defendants guilty."
Their lawyers shifted.
"On the charge of conspiracy to commit murder, we find the defendants guilty."
The cartel bosses stared ahead.
"On the charge of witness intimidation, we find the defendants guilty."
One of them slammed his fist on the table.
"On all charges, we find the defendants guilty."
---
The courtroom erupted.
Not in chaos.
In tears.
Maya cried.
David cried.
Sarah cried.
James cried.
The families cried.
Damien didn't cry.
But his hands were shaking.
Christabel took his hand.
"You're shaking."
"I'm not shaking."
"You're shaking."
"They're happy shakes."
That night, Christabel put Lena to bed.
Not Damien. Her.
Lena was full of questions.
"Mama, why is everyone crying?"
"Because they're happy."
"Why are they happy?"
"Because the bad people lost."
Lena thought about that.
"Can bad people lose?"
Christabel smiled.
"Sometimes."
Damien appeared in the doorway.
He walked to her.
Took her hand.
"The cartels lost."
"I know."
"They're going to prison."
"I know."
"For a long time."
"I know."
"Why aren't you surprised?"
She looked at him.
"Because I know who you are."
First Line of Chapter 173 (Teaser):
"The one hundred twenty-eighth week, the cartel bosses were sentenced. Not to life in prison. To death. And the world watched as justice was served."