Carter leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the window frame. The smirk on his face widened into a cold, victorious smile. He looked directly into Miller's panicked eyes and delivered the lethal blow, his voice smooth and echoing with absolute finality.

"Oh, but the FBI wiretap just recorded every damn word."

The words were a physical strike. Miller stumbled backward, his heavy boots scraping awkwardly against the loose gravel of the highway shoulder. The realization that every threat, every demand, and the exact dollar amount of his extortion had been transmitted live to a federal agency broke him completely.