Chapter 2: A: Federal Transfer

👉 [Previous Decision]: You chose Option A – Hand over the audio files to federal law enforcement immediately.

I walked the four blocks through the brisk Albany air, the anonymous drive clutched in my coat pocket. The FBI field office entrance was sterile, cold. Inside, fluorescent lights hummed over a few agents moving with quiet efficiency.

“I have information,” I told the intake agent, my voice steady. “Regarding the political assassinations mentioned on *Capitol Confidential*.”

The agent, a woman with sharp eyes, nodded slowly. She took the drive, her fingers brushing mine.

“We’ll need a full statement,” she said. “And for you to refrain from public comment on this matter. It’s a federal investigation now.”

I agreed, relieved. This was the safe, by-the-book option. Let the professionals handle it.

Two days later, a local news report flickered across my studio monitor. Sheriff Thaddeus Pendelton, a man whose face was carved from granite and whose family name was all over the capitol district, stood at a podium.

“This podcast host,” he stated, pointing a thick finger at my blurred photo on the screen, “Julian Kross, attempted to tamper with federal evidence. A coordinated smear campaign, no doubt designed to derail legitimate investigations.”

My phone began to ring, then vibrate, then almost scream with notifications. The online forums, once buzzing with theories about my podcast, now seethed with accusations. “Fraud,” “Fabricator,” “Fake News.”

My sponsors pulled out within hours. Ad revenue vanished. My broadcast platform sent an automated email: “Account suspension due to terms of service violations.”

I stared at the screen, a cold pit forming in my stomach. The very system I had hoped to leverage had turned on me, weaponized by the Pendeltons. My career, barely begun, was already dead.