Chapter 5 - The Rat in the BureauBefore Nicholas could respond, Marcus burst through the library doors, holding his encrypted satellite phone.
"Boss, we have a massive problem. The data download from Thomas’s estate wasn't going to Washington or rival cartels."
Nicholas stood up instantly. "Then where?"
"Interpol," Marcus said grimly. "More specifically, to a federal task force led by Special Agent David Vance. And according to our internal network scans, Vance isn't just an independent investigator. He’s been on Thomas Warren’s payroll for the last five years."
The pieces clicked together with terrifying clarity. It wasn't just a corporate assassination plot; it was a hostile takeover of the entire regional law enforcement apparatus. If Vance got his hands on the decrypted ledgers, every safehouse, every offshore account, and every loyal operative in Nicholas’s syndicate would be rounded up within twenty-four hours—or executed in custody under the guise of resisting arrest.
"Where is Vance right now?" Nicholas asked, his voice cold as arctic ice.
"He just landed a chopper at the private airstrip in Northeast Philadelphia," Marcus replied, pulling up a tactical map on his tablet. "He’s moving with a full tactical SWAT unit under federal jurisdiction warrants. They’re heading straight for our downtown financial headquarters."
Nicholas buttoned his suit jacket, his expression hardening into absolute ruthlessness.
"Marcus, mobilize the inner circle. Every man we have left. We’re not running, and we’re not hiding."
He turned to Elena, who was gently adjusting sleeping Lucy on her shoulder.
May you like
"And you," Nicholas said. "You're coming with us. Because if this ledger is going to see the light of day, it needs the only living heir of Arthur Sterling to authenticate it."
Elena looked down at her daughter, then back up at Nicholas. Without a word, she nodded, standing tall. "Let's go burn them out."
