Chapter 7 - Bloodlines and Betrayals
The silence that followed Elena’s words was heavy, punctured only by the crackle of satellite static over the encrypted channel.
On the other end of the line, Marcus Vance—her father’s trusted half-brother and the chief trustee of the Valmont Foundation—let out a dry, low chuckle that sounded like stones grinding together.
""You always were Arthur's sharpest weapon, Elena. A pity he hid you behind high-society gowns and fake submissive smiles. Did you really think an idiot like Julian Sterling could orchestrate a global hit on the most protected man in Europe?""
""Julian was merely the pen that signed the shell company cheques,"" Elena replied, watching the city skyline blur past in streaks of neon and rain. ""He was vain, weak, and greedy enough to believe you were doing him a favor. You used his bankruptcy to construct the financial paper trail, framing the Sterlings while you sat safely in the shadows.""
""And it worked brilliantly,"" Marcus said smoothly. ""Until you decided to play martyr and marry the boy. Three years you played the dutiful, abused housewife. Why? To gather the ledger?""
""To find every rat that fed on my father's blood,"" Elena said, her voice dropping an octave into pure ice. ""And tonight, Marcus, you stepped into the light.""
""Then you know what happens next,"" Marcus warned, his tone losing its jovial veneer. ""The Sterling empire is gone, but the syndicate belongs to whoever holds the Master Cipher on that disk. If you do not deliver it to the Harbor Docks by midnight, I won't just kill you, Elena. I will systematically destroy every orphanage, hospital, and enterprise your father built. I will salt the earth until the name Valmont is remembered only as a tragedy.""
The call went dead.
The Maybach pulled into the subterranean garage of the monolithic Valmont Financial Tower. The steel blast doors slammed shut behind them, sealing the vehicle inside a concrete fortress.
Leon, who had arrived in a trailing interceptor vehicle, opened Elena’s door. His tactical suit was scorched with powder burns, but his posture was rigid.
""Chairwoman, the federal authorities have taken Julian and Victoria into custody from the perimeter. Julian is currently in an ambulance under armed guard, heading to St. Jude’s Hospital before processing. He’s singing like a canary to the FBI to save his own skin.""
Elena stepped out into the bright LED lights of the vault staging area. She removed her bloodstained white shirt, replacing it with a tailored black turtleneck and a Kevlar combat vest handed to her by an attendant.
""Julian knows nothing of real value,"" Elena said, adjusting the holster at her hip. ""He’s a cornered animal squealing for scraps. Let the feds have him. Our target is Marcus.""
""Marcus has seized control of three private security battalions,"" Leon warned, loading armor-piercing magazines onto a table. ""He’s barricaded himself inside the Port Authority docks. He has heavy artillery, snipers, and high-speed extraction vessels waiting.""
Elena reached into a wall safe, keying in a twelve-digit biometric code. The heavy titanium hatch swung open with a hiss of compressed air. Inside rested a sleek, black hexagonal hard drive.
May you like
She picked it up, feeling the cool weight of her father's life's work in her palm.
""Then let's not keep my beloved uncle waiting,"" Elena said, her lips curling into a predatory smile. ""Mobilize the Blackwood Fleet.""
