Chapter 6 - The Anatomy of Leverage
Julian Vance let out a harsh, desperate laugh, trying to maintain his composure as he leaned back against his mahogany desk. "You think you've won because you manipulated the stock market, Ryker? My team in Chicago is already inside your Blue Island facility. If I don't enter a safety code into this terminal every ten minutes, a signal is sent to detonate the primary fuel lines along the canal. Your precious logistics empire will burn to the ground, and your twins will have nothing left to inherit."
Ryker didn't move a muscle. He didn't show a single hint of panic. He simply walked over to the desk, pulled out a sleek, silver-plated pen—the exact model Lily loved to draw with—and placed it neatly next to Julian's computer keyboard.
"You built your entire strategy on the assumption that I am a corporate executive who fears a loss of capital," Ryker said softly, bending down so his eyes were level with Julian’s. "You forgot who I was before I went to that airport five years ago. I didn't build Steel Logistics to make money, Julian. I built it to provide a perimeter for my family. If you burn the facilities, I will simply build them again. But if you touch my family, there is no corner of this earth that will hide you from me."
Marco stepped forward, tossing a tablet onto the desk. The screen displayed a live surveillance feed of Julian’s ground crew in Chicago. They weren't sabotaging the fuel lines; they were currently pinned against the concrete floor of the warehouse, surrounded by a heavily armed tactical unit led by Silvano and federal marshals.
Clara’s quick work had allowed the authorities to track the digital signal of the sabotage team long before they could place an explosive device.
Julian's eyes widened as he stared at the screen, the final remnants of his confidence shattering into dust. He looked up at Ryker, seeing the ancient, unyielding darkness in the older man’s eyes—the look of a protector who had crossed through hell to save his children and would never hesitate to go back.
May you like
"The keys," Ryker whispered. "Now."
With trembling fingers, Julian reached for his keyboard, typing in the definitive deletion sequence that wiped the family travel logs from every external server in existence, closing the breach permanently.
