Chapter 14 - The Chicago ConnectionThe secure satellite call to our downtown Chicago high-rise connected within seconds, the high-definition monitor flickering to life to reveal Marcus Vance sitting behind my old desk.
He didn't look terrified or remorseful. Instead, Marcus looked entirely smug, swirling a glass of scotch as he stared straight into the camera lens.
“Gabriel. Claire,” Marcus greeted smoothly, his voice dripping with arrogance. “I trust the Swiss Alps are treating you well. Beautiful view before an avalanche hits, isn't it?”
“You’re tying your brother’s sinking ship to Rostov’s syndicate, Marcus,” Gabriel said, his voice dropping into that icy, lethal register that made the air in the room freeze. “You know what happens to traitors in my organization.”
“Traitor?” Marcus laughed harshly, slamming his glass down on the desk. “My family built the financial foundation of the Kane Corporation while your father was still running guns on the docks! Julian took the fall because he was sloppy. But I’m smarter. And right now, I hold the digital keys to every corporate account you own in North America.”
I stepped in front of the camera, pushing past Gabriel so Marcus could see the cold, absolute resolve in my eyes. “You think you have the keys, Marcus? Look at your primary monitor.”
Marcus frowned, glancing down at his desk. “What are you talking about?”
“You assumed I didn't back up the master ledger when we wiped the workstation in the Loop,” I said steadily. “The moment you tried to access the Geneva server cluster, you triggered an automated traceback protocol. Your IP address, your offshore crypto wallets, and your direct communications with Viktor Rostov have just been transmitted to the FBI, the SEC, and the Swiss Federal Prosecutor's Office.”
The color drained entirely from Marcus’s face. The smug, arrogant facade instantly shattered into pure panic.
“You didn't...” Marcus stammered, grabbing his keyboard. “You bluffin' little—”
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“The feds are already walking through your lobby, Marcus,” Gabriel said calmly, leaning into the camera frame. “Say hello to your brother for me when you see him in maximum security.”
Gabriel reached out and snapped the laptop shut, cutting off the transmission with a definitive click.
