Page 55 of Close Protection

Julia leaned over the map Ivy had spread out, her proximity sending an unwelcome ripple of awareness through Ivy. "Who receives the information?"

"Multiple endpoints simultaneously," she replied, focusing on the documents rather than the scent of sandalwood that clung to Julia's skin. "City Water Commissioner, Zoning Board, Environmental Protection Office, and three specific journalists known for municipal corruption coverage."

Lavender crossed her arms, leaning against a shelf. "And you're sure they'll act on it? Knox has political protection."

"The city officials can't ignore potential security threats to water infrastructure," Ivy explained. "The journalists ensure the information becomes public too quickly for Knox to suppress through his connections. Whenwater safety becomes the issue, even compromised officials have to respond."

Morgan glanced up from her keyboard. "Secure channels established. Untraceable to this location or any networks associated with either of you."

Julia studied the security setup with professional approval before turning to Ivy. "Walk us through the entire sequence again."

Ivy laid out the three evidence packages in order. "First, we release the water facility documentation, triggering immediate regulatory investigation. That creates the initial disruption."

Her fingers moved to the second package. "When Knox begins responding to that front, we release the electrical substation evidence, connecting two of his legitimate businesses to the shell companies that purchased surrounding properties. That forces him to address threats on multiple fronts."

"And the third package?" Julia prompted.

"Political connections." Ivy tapped the final set of documents. "Records showing three City Council members received 'consulting fees' from companies that subsequently approved zoning changes aroundthese infrastructure points. When this emerges, they'll distance themselves publicly from Knox."

Lavender whistled softly. "You're not just disrupting his infrastructure plan. You're dismantling his entire protection network."

"That's the intent," Ivy confirmed. "Isolate him, force reactive measures, predict his retreat pattern."

Julia's expression remained carefully neutral, but Ivy caught the subtle shift in her posture—her tactical mind fully engaged with the strategy. "Timeline between releases?"

"Twenty-four hours between packages," Ivy said. "Enough time for each disclosure to gain traction but not enough for Knox to establish effective countermeasures."

Morgan completed the final security protocols, her fingers moving across the keyboard with practiced efficiency. "Ready when you are."

All eyes turned to Ivy. This was the point of no return—the moment they transitioned from defense to offense. Once these documents were released, Knox would know she wasn't just hiding. She was hunting.

Ivy moved to the primary laptop, fingers hovering over the keyboard. "Let's begin."

The next hour passed in intense focus as she prepared the evidence for digital transmission. Each document required careful packaging—comprehensive enough to trigger immediate action but strategically limited to avoid compromising the core case. She annotated connections, highlighted key transactions, and created simplified visualizations that made the infrastructure pattern undeniable.

Morgan facilitated the technical deployment while Julia maintained security awareness, her attention divided between the door, the windows, and occasional glances at Ivy's progress. Lavender moved between the café and back room, maintaining normal business operations while serving as additional surveillance.

When the first package was ready, Ivy paused, meeting Julia's eyes across the table. "This makes me a more specific target," she acknowledged. "It tells Knox I'm not just a witness but an active threat."

Something flickered in Julia's expression—concern deeper than professional obligation. "It also makes him predictable," she said. "We control the tempo now."

Her words echoed Ivy's own strategy. The brief connection felt like partnership rather than protection.

Ivy nodded once and hit send. Digital packets scattered across the encrypted network, document clusters moving through secure channels toward their designated targets. Within minutes, the first confirmation appeared—automated receipts from government servers acknowledging upload of security-relevant information.

"Phase one complete," Morgan announced, monitoring the deployment. "All targets received the information. City Water Commissioner's office has already flagged it for immediate review."

Lavender returned from the main café, locking the purple door behind her. "Just in time. Evening crowd's arriving."

"Impact timeline?" Julia asked, checking her watch.

"The journalists will move fastest," Ivy replied. "Expect first public exposure within three to six hours. Regulatory response by morning." She pulled up the monitoringdashboard she'd created. "We'll track specific indicators: stock price movements in Knox's legitimate companies, unusual property transfers, changes in security deployments at known locations."

Julia nodded. "We observe for twenty-four hours before deploying phase two."

"Unless acceleration becomes necessary," Ivy qualified. "If Knox responds faster than anticipated, we adjust accordingly."

"Contingency plans?" Julia's question was directed at Morgan, but her eyes remained on Ivy.

---