Chapter 17 - A Reckoning at Headquarters
Elena froze,
her hand hovering inside her blazer pocket,
her fingers twitching near the grip of a suppressed Walther PPK.
“You’re making a terrible mistake,
Dante,
” she hissed,
her professional composure finally shattering into venomous hatred.
“My brother is ruined.
” “Enzo is rotting in a cage.
” “You think you can run this city forever like a feudal warlord?
” “For ten years,
I sat outside your office and watched you treat human lives like chess pieces,
” she snarled.
“We built this empire from the shadows.
” “And you took all the credit.
” “You didn't build Meridian Freight,
Elena,
” I replied calmly,
my finger resting steadily against the trigger.
“I built it with my bare hands,
blood,
and discipline.
” “You and your brother were just parasites riding the coattails of a machine you never understood.
” The study door swung open wide,
and Viktor stepped in with two armed security operatives,
their assault rifles raised.
Viktor moved swiftly behind Elena,
wrenching her arm behind her back and relieving her of the firearm.
“Well,
well,
” Viktor muttered,
tossing the Walther onto the desk.
“Looks like the family business runs deep with treason.
” “Take her down to the holding cells,
” I commanded,
holstering my weapon.
“Put her in the cell right next to Enzo.
” “Let them keep each other company while federal prosecutors draft the expanded indictments.
” Elena thrashed and cursed as Viktor and his men dragged her toward the private service elevator,
her voice echoing down the hallway until the heavy steel doors slammed shut.
I walked back to my desk,
picked up the cup of coffee she had brought,
and poured it down the sink.
The last parasite was cleared from the house.
May you like
The empire was finally,
truly clean.
