Chapter 4 - The Siege of Vance Logistics
By 8:00 AM the next morning, the blizzard had cleared, leaving downtown Denver covered in a pristine, blinding sheet of white. At the glass headquarters of Vance Logistics, the executive board was gathering for their annual winter quarter meeting.
Richard Vance sat at the head of the massive mahogany table, adjusting his gold cufflinks. To his right sat Kyle, who was aggressively checking his sports betting app, and to his left sat Arthur Pendelton, the CFO, looking nervous as he flipped through financial sheets.
"We need to finalize the liquidation of Ethan's trust by noon today," Richard said, his voice cold. "The offshore buyers in Panama are ready to absorb the real estate assets. Once the money hits our accounts, Kyle's debts are cleared, and we can close the funding gap for the new shipping terminal."
"Are you sure the boy won't cause trouble, Richard?" Arthur asked, his hand trembling slightly as he took a sip of water. "He has federal marshals with him."
"Ethan is a soldier," Richard sneered, waving his hand dismissively. "He follows orders. He’ll yell, he’ll threaten, but legally, he’s outmatched. My lawyers have already filed an emergency injunction blocking his access to the local properties. He’s locked out."
Suddenly, the heavy glass doors of the boardroom swung open.
I walked in, wearing my full class-A dress uniform, my medals gleaming under the fluorescent lights. Behind me walked Major Lena Ortiz and four federal investigators from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
"Ethan!" Richard stood up, his face darkening with rage. "You have no right to be in this building! Security! Clear this room!"
"The security guards are currently being questioned downstairs, Father," I said, walking to the foot of the table and placing my briefcase down. "They were very cooperative once the federal marshals showed them the warrants for commercial human trafficking and tax evasion."
Arthur Pendelton went completely white, dropping his pen. "What did you say?"
I clicked open my briefcase and pulled out a stack of red-labeled folders, throwing them onto the center of the table. They slid across the polished wood, stopping right in front of my father.
"Over the past eighteen months, while I was hunting insurgents overseas, I kept an eye on our family business," I said, leaning over the table, my eyes locked onto Arthur. "I found a secondary ledger, Arthur. The one you kept in the private server hidden under the guise of an agricultural transport company. For five years, Vance Logistics has been smuggling unregistered electronics and restricted military components through the Canadian border."
"This is a lie! Forgery!" Kyle shouted, his voice cracking with panic as he stood up.
"It’s not a lie, Kyle," I said, turning my gaze to him. "Every single wire transfer you used to pay your gambling debts came directly from that black-budget account. I uploaded the entire server log to the Department of Justice three hours ago. The asset freeze has already begun."
Right on cue, my father's phone buzzed violently on the table. He picked it up, his eyes widening in absolute horror as he read the message.
May you like
"Our bank accounts..." Richard whispered, his voice suddenly sounding thin and fragile. "The corporate lines are dead. Everything is frozen."
"This is just the first phase of the operation, Richard," I said, using his first name to strip him of any parental authority. "You took my house. You threw my wife and newborn son into a blizzard. Now, I am taking your kingdom."
