Chapter 7 - The Verbal Chess Match
Vane’s smile faltered slightly at Hamilton’s unwavering composure. He took a step forward, gesturing toward the jet with his rifle barrel. “The game is over, Hamilton. Your empire is crumbling, your accounts are frozen, and Elena is out of the picture. Hand over the drive, and maybe—just maybe—I’ll let you walk away into obscurity.”
Hamilton stopped ten paces away. The rain beat heavily against his face, slicking his dark hair across his forehead, but he didn’t wipe it away. He looked at Vane not with anger, but with the profound pity one might reserve for a dying insect.
“You mistake my silence for weakness,” Hamilton said, his voice cutting cleanly through the howling wind. “You think because Elena was resting, we were vulnerable. You forgot the fundamental rule of our world, Vane.”
May you like
Vane narrowed his eyes, gripping his weapon tighter. “What rule?”
“Never wake a sleeping monster,” Hamilton whispered. At that exact moment, the headlights of the SUVs suddenly shattered into a million pieces.
