128 (Operation Armageddon: Book 1)

Chapter Eleven: The Trial | Part 2

"Thank you, counsel. Will the defence please call their first witness?" the judge continues with the other side.

Matthew was prepared to see the witnesses that would walk in. He had absolutely no clue who they would be, as he didn't know anyone else who would have anything to do with the chairwoman and would want to testify for her release.

"Yes, Your Honour," the defence counsel said, standing up. "The defence would like to call Andy Bergen to the stand."

A man, who seemed to be in his mid-twenties, entered the court, also handcuffed, and surrounded by police officers, before getting uncuffed. He then walked to the witness box, took the oath, and introduced his name.

Matthew instantly recognised the man. It was one of Jake's close acquaintances. He had seen him a couple of times before, but not often. He began to wonder why he would testify for the chairwoman.

"Good morning, Mr. Bergen," the defence counsel began. "May we know how you are related to Jake Hernandez?"

"He was one of my close friends," Mr. Bergen replied.

"Did he mention a company known as Yael Technologies Corporation?" the defence counsel continued.

"Yes... very often...." Mr. Bergen replied promptly. "He said how he hated the company because it eventually became the reason for his mother's death. He said Yael Biology prescribed his mother medicine for her sickness, but her condition still worsened. He went back for a new prescription, but eventually, his mother died. He filed a lawsuit against them, but he lost, and the police found that his mother had died from natural causes, not the medical drugs. He still wasn't convinced about his mother's cause of death, and wanted to take it out on Yael. So, he told me that he would stage a murder case with the detectives and blame it all on Yael. However, he got a real bomb in the museum somehow, and the staged murder... had become attempted murder."

"And how are you affiliated with him in this?" the defence counsel inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Well... he kind of... persuaded me into helping him. As a close friend, I thought I should at least assist him on this. I felt angry for him, and I was very against Yael. I thought that it was unjust. So, I... I followed his plan to abduct Emily Watson and convince her to join in on the plan..." the man trailed off.

"Objection, Your Honour. Ms. Watson claimed that she was threatened to knifepoint, not convinced or brainwashed," the prosecution counsel cut in abruptly, raising his hand.

"Sustained!" the judge bellowed, his overpowering voice making some of the spectators feel intimidated. "How can you prove that she was truly convinced and not threatened after all?"

Mr. Bergen remained calm. "Before I had even convinced her to join Mr. Hernandez's plan, she already held grudges against Yael. She even made multiple hateful tweets on Twitter and notes in a notepad application," he said, although to the detectives, he was clearly lying.

Emma gasped quietly. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. And neither could Matthew or Daniel.

"Your Honour, may we present evidence of her social media posts and digital notes?" the defence counsel requested.

The judge flashed his hand towards the defence, gesturing that they had been permitted to present the evidence.

As such, screenshots of multiple tweets on Emma's Twitter account were displayed on the courtroom's TV screens.

One of the tweets read y'all, that yael technologies company is a complete fraud. their laboratory tests are insane, and they are doing it all for money. don't support them and their corrupted actions!