Chapter 28 - The Final Reckoning
Viktor fell to his knees in the frozen slush, his hands raised in the air, his face twisted in absolute fury and disbelief. “You can’t do this, Daniel! Carter Logistics is dead! You have nothing left!”
“I have my family,” I said, standing directly over him, looking down with the cold, absolute authority of a man who had reclaimed his throne. “And more importantly, I have every single financial record connecting you, Evelyn, and half the city hall to the largest cartel pipeline in the Midwest.”
Michael Reed dropped down from the loading dock ladder, stepping up beside me with a pair of heavy tactical zip-ties. He kicked Viktor’s legs apart and forced him face-first into the ice, binding his wrists with brutal efficiency.
“What do you want to do with him, Boss?” Michael asked, standing over the groaning crime lord. “Do we hand him to the Feds?”
“No,” I said quietly, pulling out my phone. “The Feds want a trial that will take three years and cost millions in legal fees. But the syndicates on the North Side? They just want a new boss.”
I dialed a ten-digit number and pressed the phone to my ear. It rang twice before a gravelly, familiar voice answered on the other end.
“Salvatore,” I said smoothly. “It’s Daniel.”
A pause crackled over the line. Then, a low, gravelly chuckle echoed back. “I heard you were out of the game, boy. Word on the street is your empire collapsed.”
“The street heard wrong,” I replied, looking down at Viktor, who was struggling helplessly against his bonds. “Viktor Vance is neutralized. His logistics network is up for grabs. If your crew moves in within the hour, the North Side is yours. But I have one condition.”
“Name it, Daniel.”
“Evelyn Vance and her laundering ring are permanently erased from Illinois. No trials, no leaks. Just clean slate.”
May you like
Salvatore laughed again, a dark, raspy sound. “Done. Consider it handled, King.”
I hung up the phone and slipped it back into my coat pocket.
