The Raid That Made Him Famous

The agent looked at her. "And you are?" "Someone with counsel on speed dial." For the first time, the agent's confidence irritated around the edges. Nora raised her phone. "Name and agency?" "Put that away." "Public hallway." "Private establishment." "Full of witnesses." The room had become a market. Everyone was pricing risk in real time. Marcus watched Ethan with quiet interest, as if this were the real dinner. Ethan understood then: the warning had not been about federal agents alone. It had been about choosing the exit. Legal exit. Narrative exit. Social exit. If he ran, he looked guilty. If he stayed, they boxed him. If he let Marcus speak first, Marcus would make him a footnote in someone else's scandal. So Ethan turned to Nora.