Chapter 6 - The Unraveling of Derek Voss
With Elise’s guilty plea entered into the military record, Derek’s civilian defense attorney realized he had no leverage left.
Two weeks after Evelyn’s birth, I received a secure digital packet from the federal prosecutor’s office containing Derek’s final, signed plea agreement. He had agreed to plead guilty to all federal wire fraud and embezzlement charges, accepting a mandatory minimum sentence of eight years in a medium-security federal penitentiary in Pennsylvania, with zero possibility of probation.
Furthermore, he signed away every single claim to the house, my grandfather’s trust, our joint accounts, and any future parental rights regarding Evelyn.
The judge’s order was finalized on a rainy Tuesday morning—ironically, the exact same weather as the night he had left me standing on the porch with my hospital bag.
Director Vance and I met in his office at the Pentagon to review the final asset recovery logs.
"Everything has been successfully repatriated, Colonel," Vance said, sliding a thick leather binder across his desk. "The offshore accounts in the Caymans have been seized and reinvested into the military family emergency relief fund—ironically, the exact fund Derek tried to loot in the first place."
I flipped through the pages, scanning the balance sheets. "And Derek's personal assets?"
"Liquidated," Vance replied with a faint smile. "His sports car, his designer clothes, his watch collection—everything was sold at auction to help cover restitution costs. He’s currently sleeping on a standard-issue cot in a twelve-by-eight cell, wearing an orange jumpsuit that doesn't match his expensive cologne."
I closed the binder. "Good. Karma is an efficient logistics officer."
"It is indeed," Vance agreed, leaning back in his chair. "Word of advice, Mara—now that the trial is behind you, take some time off. You’ve spent the last nine months fighting a war on two fronts: carrying a child while dismantling a domestic espionage ring inside your own marriage. You earned a break."
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"I don't do breaks, Thomas," I smiled faintly, standing up and buttoning my service jacket. "I do long-term strategic planning. And my next operation is teaching my daughter how to recognize red flags before she’s even old enough to walk."
Vance laughed. "God help any man who tries to cross Evelyn Rose Ellison twenty years from now."
