Chapter 9 - The Fall of the Vance Empire
Nora didn't panic.
Through her earpiece, Gabriel’s voice barked with terrifying urgency: "Nora! Drop to the floor! NOW!"
BOOM!
The reinforced glass wall of the server room exploded inward in a brilliant flash of blue light and smoke.
A flashbang grenade detonated, blinding Isabella and sending her staggering backward, her gun firing wildly into the ceiling.
Before the smoke could clear, Gabriel vaulted through the shattered frame like a unleashed phantom.
He caught Isabella’s gun arm, twisting her wrist with brutal efficiency until the weapon clattered onto the floor. He swept her legs out, pinning her face-down onto the concrete floor, his tactical boot resting heavily on her back.
Behind him, Leo and six squad members flooded the room, securing the perimeter in less than ten seconds.
Gabriel immediately turned to Nora, pulling her into his chest, checking her face and arms with frantic hands. "Are you hit? Nora! Look at me! Are you hurt?!"
"I'm fine!" Nora panted, clutching his shirt, holding up the silver hard drive. "I got it, Gabriel. We have the drive!"
Gabriel looked down at the silver drive, then looked at Isabella, who was sobbing in anger on the floor.
"It's over, Isabella," Gabriel said cold-bloodedly. "By six tomorrow morning, your father’s accounts will be drained, his ships seized by the Coast Guard, and his syndicate liquidated."
Two hours later, the operation was complete.
Julian Vance was arrested at his long island estate by federal agents using the financial evidence provided from the drive. The Vance Syndicate collapsed overnight, its remaining lieutenants surrendering their territories to the Costa Syndicate to avoid prosecution.
The war was won. Without firing a single civilian bullet.
As the morning sun broke over Boston, Gabriel and Nora stood on the private balcony of Villa Costa, watching the calm blue waves of the ocean.
Gabriel took the silver drive from his pocket and tossed it into the deep, dark waters below.
Nora looked up at him in surprise. "You threw it away? That drive was worth hundreds of millions."
"I don't need Vance’s blood money," Gabriel said softly, turning to face her.
May you like
He took both of her hands in his, looking into her eyes with an intensity of love that filled every dark corner of her soul.
"I have everything I will ever need right here," Gabriel whispered.
