Chapter 6 - THE TURN OF THE TIDE
Vincent Romano frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What are you talking about?"
Evelyn reached into her leather briefcase, pulled out a sleek black iPad, and slid it across the long mahogany table. It stopped right beside Vincent’s plate.
"Page 1 is a certified audit of Romano Logistics & Medical Supply," Evelyn stated clearly. "Detailing thirty-four million dollars in fake pharmaceutical shipments delivered to five major hospital networks over the last thirty-six months."
Vincent didn't touch the tablet, but his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "Fabricated nonsense."
"Page 4 contains the digital signatures of your chief financial officer, authorizing wire transfers into shell bank accounts in Panama," Evelyn continued smoothly. "And Page 12 is a copy of a federal indictment warrant signed two hours ago by Federal Judge Harrison under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act."
Dante jumped out of his chair. "She’s bluffing! Dad, she’s lying!"
"Shut up, Dante!" Marco Moretti barked from the corner of the room, his hand instinctively moving toward his jacket as his tactical earpiece began to buzz frantically with static.
"Don Romano!" Marco shouted, his voice dropping all composure. "The front security gate! The camera feeds just went dark!"
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rocked the outer perimeter walls of the estate, rattling the crystal chandeliers above the dining table.
Alarm sirens began to wail across the mansion as dark red emergency lights flickered on.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, bright blinding spotlights cut through the foggy night sky. Helicopters hovered directly over the estate, their blades beating against the air with thunderous power: THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!
A booming loudspeaker echoed from above, echoing through the glass:
"THIS IS THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION AND THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE! WE HAVE A FEDERAL SEARCH WARRANT FOR THE ROMANO ESTATE! SURRENDER YOUR WEAPONS AND STEP OUTSIDE WITH YOUR HANDS RAISED IMMEDIATELY!"
Vincent Romano stood up slowly, his face turning the color of ash. He stared at Evelyn, who remained sitting calmly in her chair, taking another sip of her water as if she were enjoying a quiet Sunday brunch.
"You..." Vincent whispered, his voice trembling with sheer rage. "You brought the feds to my home?"
"I didn't just bring the feds, Vincent," Evelyn said, standing up smoothly and smoothing her charcoal jacket. "I brought the Department of Defense, the IRS Financial Crimes Unit, and the State Attorney General. You thought I was a helpless doctor you could intimidate. You forgot that some of us spent our lives serving a country that doesn't break for mobsters."
Dante, panicked beyond reason, pulled a silver pistol from his belt and pointed it directly at Evelyn’s forehead. "You dead bitch!"
BANG!
Before Dante could pull his trigger, the massive glass windows of the dining room shattered inward in a spray of silver fragments. A flashbang grenade detonated on the rug with a blinding flash and a concussive shockwave.
Evelyn moved with lightning tactical speed. She grabbed my arm, pulled me down beneath the heavy oak table, shielding my body with her own as elite FBI SWAT operators wearing night-vision goggles crashed through the windows, lasers cutting through the smoke.
"FBI! DON'T MOVE! DROP THE WEAPON! DROP IT NOW!"
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Dante was tackled to the floor by three heavy tactical officers, his gun skittering across the marble floor as he screamed in pain and terror. Marco Moretti was slammed against the wall, handcuffed instantly.
Vincent Romano stood frozen in the middle of the smoke, his hands raised slowly into the air, staring at Evelyn as she slid out from under the table, completely unhurt, her eyes filled with supreme, unshakeable triumph.
