Chapter 25 - The Vanguard Strategy
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I closed the laptop screen with a quiet snap.
My heart was beating fast, but the paralyzing fear that used to grip me during the Paradise Valley days was gone. I was no longer a victim waiting for monsters to strike.
I walked upstairs to the nursery. Irene was sitting in the rocking chair, reading a storybook to Grace, whose eyes were heavy with sleep.
I waited until Grace drifted off before gesturing for Irene to follow me downstairs.
In the kitchen, I showed her the video file. She watched it without screaming, her jaw tightening as the anonymous voice threatened our family.
“What do we do?” Irene asked, looking up at me with steady, fierce eyes.
“We don’t run,” I said firmly. “And we don’t negotiate with terrorists.”
“Who is behind that video?”
“An international syndicate called Vanguard Financial,” I replied, pulling out my phone. “Victor was laundering their cartel proceeds through my father’s real estate projects.”
“Who are you calling?” Irene asked.
“Master Investigator David Miller,” I said, dialing the secure number. “And Julian Cross.”
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“Julian Cross?” Irene frowned. “The private security contractor from Los Angeles?”
“If they want a war on Arizona soil,” I said, my voice turning to cold steel, “I’m going to make sure they never step foot across the border.”
