Chapter 6 - The War Beneath the City
Rowan turned the city's underground network against Victor.
Every warehouse.
Every shipping route.
Every hidden camera.
Every informant.
Within twenty-four hours, Victor's world began collapsing.
But he stayed ahead.
Then the mayor disappeared.
The police commissioner resigned.
Several businessmen fled the city.
Someone had warned them.
Mave looked at the ledger.
The answer was inside.
One name appeared beside every operation.
Arthur Kane.
Rowan's chief financial officer.
“He's the leak.”
Rowan stared.
“Kane has worked for me for fifteen years.”
“And Victor knew your security better than anyone.”
Rowan closed the ledger.
“Then Kane is dead to me.”
They found Kane at his office.
He was waiting.
“You finally figured it out.”
Rowan entered.
“Where is Victor?”
Kane smiled.
“You don't understand who you're fighting.”
“Then enlighten me.”
“The people behind Victor.”
“Who?”
Kane leaned back.
“The Mercer family didn't build this city.”
“No.”
“The Sullivans didn't either.”
“Then who?”
“The Kane family.”
He laughed.
Mave stepped forward.
“What does that mean?”
“Your fathers thought they could expose us.”
“Us?”
“The council.”
“The council?”
A secret organization of businessmen, judges and politicians.
They controlled industries through corruption.
Victor was their enforcer.
Marcus's father had been a member.
Richard.
The same man who had shaped Rowan's early life.
Kane revealed that Rowan's father had escaped the organization years ago.
Patrick Sullivan had helped.
Both men had spent decades trying to dismantle it.
Mave felt sick.
“How many people are involved?”
“Enough.”
Kane smiled.
“Your problem, Rowan, is that you thought fear made you powerful.”
Rowan stared.
“And your mistake was believing fear made you untouchable.”
He left Kane to the authorities.
But Victor remained.
Then Mave disappeared.
It happened in broad daylight.
She was leaving a bakery with coffee when a van stopped.
Three men.
No witnesses willing to speak.
By the time Rowan arrived, she was gone.
He nearly destroyed the city looking for her.
Every call.
Every security feed.
Every contact.
Nothing.
Then a video appeared.
Mave sat in a dark room.
Her wrists were tied.
Victor stood behind her.
“Bring the ledgers.”
Rowan watched.
Victor leaned close to Mave.
“Or she dies.”
Mave looked directly into the camera.
She wasn't crying.
She mouthed something.
Three words.
Don't trust Victor.
Then the video ended.
Rowan replayed it.
Again.
And again.
Mave had moved her left hand.
Three times.
A signal.
Her father's old code.
Rowan recognized it.
“Dock twelve.”
Gabriel stared.
“That's abandoned.”
“That's why.”
They reached Dock 12.
Victor was waiting.
Mave was on a raised platform.
Rowan stepped forward.
“Let her go.”
Victor smiled.
“You finally came.”
“You wanted me.”
“No.”
He looked at Mave.
“I wanted to see whether she could make you weak.”
Rowan said nothing.
Victor laughed.
“She can.”
Mave shouted.
“Rowan, don't give him the ledger!”
Victor raised a gun.
“Silence.”
Rowan stepped closer.
“You want me?”
Victor looked amused.
“I want what your father hid.”
“My father is alive.”
Victor's smile disappeared.
Rowan held up his phone.
A live video showed Rowan's father in a safe location.
Victor stared.
“You found him.”
“Yes.”
“You don't understand.”
“I understand everything.”
Victor's people began lowering their weapons.
They had been paid for months.
Rowan had already turned them.
Victor realized he was alone.
He grabbed Mave.
She drove her elbow into his ribs.
He dropped his gun.
Rowan crossed the distance instantly.
Victor tried to rise.
Rowan stopped him.
“For years, you thought everyone had a price.”
Victor coughed.
“Everyone does.”
“Not her.”
Rowan looked at Mave.
“Never her.”
Police arrived.
Victor was taken away.
Mave ran into Rowan's arms.
He held her so tightly she could barely breathe.
“You're okay.”
“Yes.”
“I thought I lost you.”
“You didn't.”
He pulled back.
“I love you.”
She stared.
He said it again.
“I love you.”
Mave smiled.
“I know.”
“You know?”
“I've known since you brought me the fifty dollars.”
He laughed.
“That was your clue?”
“No.”
May you like
She kissed him.
“This was.”
