"What does that mean?"
Mercer didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he opened a folder.
"We've been investigating a contractor associated with your HOA."
Marcus looked at the name.
Daniel Voss.
Mercer nodded.
"He's been under investigation for several months."
"For what?"
"Unauthorized access to protected data."
Marcus sat back.
"Government data?"
"Potentially."
"Through an HOA?"
Mercer looked at him.
"That's what we're trying to determine."
Marcus thought about the laptops.
The maps.
The resident files.
"Why would they use my garage?"
"Because they needed a location that wasn't connected to their own offices."
Marcus stared at him.
Mercer continued.
"Your HOA's clubhouse is monitored."
Marcus understood.
"My garage isn't."
"Exactly."
Marcus shook his head.
"So they used my property."
"Yes."
"Without permission."
"Yes."
"And when I found them..."
"They needed to get you to open the garage."
Marcus stared.
"Why?"
Mercer looked toward the garage.
"Because if you opened it willingly, they could later claim you had granted access."
Marcus felt cold.
That was the game.
Patricia didn't need the garage opened by force.
She needed Marcus to open it.
Then the evidence could become complicated.
Authorization could become ambiguous.
Consent could become an argument.
Marcus looked at the agent.
"So what do I do?"
"Nothing."
Marcus frowned.
"Nothing?"
"Don't open the garage."
"What if Patricia comes back?"
"Don't argue."
"What if she threatens me?"
"Record it."
"What if she brings someone?"
"Call us."
Mercer stood.
"And if she says the FBI authorized her?"
Marcus almost smiled.
"I ask to see the warrant."
Mercer smiled back.
"Exactly."
That conversation happened five days before the confrontation.
Marcus didn't know the FBI was already preparing a warrant.
He didn't know Daniel Voss was under surveillance.
He didn't know the HOA had been moving resident data through private servers.
He didn't know Patricia had been lying to board members.
All he knew was that someone had used his property.
And he refused to help them cover it up.
The morning of the confrontation, Patricia arrived with two FBI agents.
Marcus recognized Agent Mercer immediately.
The second agent was Special Agent James Cole.
Patricia clearly believed she was in control.
She didn't know Mercer had already briefed Cole.
She didn't know the warrant had been signed.
She didn't know the investigation had shifted from preliminary inquiry to federal search.
She only knew that Marcus had locked the garage.
So she thought she could force him to open it.
"Open it now," she shouted.
Marcus stepped between her and the keypad.
"Good. Make sure they see every truck, every file, and every camera recording inside."
Patricia's face reddened.
"Arrest him!"
Mercer took the folder.
"Ma'am."
"What?"
"Back away."
"You don't understand."