Chapter 27 - The Chicago ExpeditionTwo days later, federal marshals and I boarded an early morning flight to Chicago. Elena Vance had coordinated with federal prosecutors to execute a simultaneous, unannounced raid on the headquarters of Sterling Global Logistics—a massive freight and commercial real estate firm operating out of the loop district.
As the unmarked federal SUV pulled up outside the towering glass-and-steel skyscraper, the morning chill off Lake Michigan bit sharply against my face.
“Are you ready for this, Connor?” Elena asked, clutching her leather briefcase as we stepped out onto the sidewalk alongside four armed federal agents.
“For years, I thought my mother was the root of every single betrayal in my life,” I replied, adjusting my coat collar. “Today, we cut off the head of the entire operation.”
We bypassed the main lobby, taking a secure service elevator straight to the forty-second floor penthouse suite. The federal agents secured the perimeter doors instantly, while Elena and I strode down the plush carpeted hallway toward the corner executive office bearing the nameplate: Victor Sterling, Managing Director.
The door was unlocked. We pushed it open and walked inside.
Sitting behind a massive mahogany desk, overlooking the sprawling Chicago skyline, was a distinguished, silver-haired man in his late fifties. He didn't look like a common criminal; he looked like a titan of industry.
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He calmly set down his fountain pen, looked up at us, and smiled.
“Connor Bradley,” Victor Sterling said smoothly, leaning back in his leather chair. “I wondered when you’d finally find your way to my office.”
