Chapter 9 - Rooftop Reckoning
The service hatch on the roof of a high-rise warehouse slammed open. Vance shoved Leo onto the tar-paper surface, panting heavily as dust billowed around them into the cold night air. Rain began to fall again, mixing with the soot on Leo’s bruised forehead.
Below them, Manhattan was descending into surreal chaos. Sirens wailed across every district. Half the skyscrapers had gone dark as the leak triggered automated system lockouts across major trading firms.
Claire emerged from behind a rooftop HVAC unit, breathing a ragged sigh of relief. ""The leak took down Cross’s central servers. But his private jet just took off from JFK. He’s liquidating his domestic assets and fleeing to Zurich.""
""He won't make it,"" Leo said, straightening his miniature tie with practiced elegance.
""Why not?"" Vance asked, reloading his Glock with shaking fingers. ""He owns the airspace. He owns the courts.""
""Because he forgot the core rule of logistics,"" Leo replied, walking to the rooftop edge and looking out over the harbor. ""He left his liquidity in a bank I bought when I was six months old.""
A low thrum vibrated through the air. From the rain-slicked clouds above, a massive corporate stealth helicopter descended without running lights, its rotor wash whipping Leo's thin hair wildly around his face.
The side door slid open, revealing an array of armed operatives wearing the insignia of the International Monetary Police.
May you like
""Leo,"" Claire warned, taking a step back. ""That isn't our transport.""
A spotlight pinned them against the gravel rooftop, searing and blinding.
