Chapter 2 - THE ILLUSION OF POWER
Richard took a step toward the laptop,
his shadow stretching long and distorted across the floor.
“You always were a dreamer,
Arthur,”
he sneered,
adjusting the cuff of his expensive sleeve.
“You think your little ‘logistics’ contacts can save you from a man who builds cities?”
I looked at the guards,
noting the way they held their weapons,
the tension in their shoulders,
and the lack of discipline in their eyes.
“I don’t just ship crates,
Richard,”
I said softly,
letting the words hang in the freezing air.
“I move the things that make the world turn,
and I remove the things that cause friction.”
Richard laughed again,
but it was thinner now,
a sound like cracking ice.
“You’re a delivery boy in a nice suit.”
“Check your phone,”
I suggested,
tilting my head toward his pocket.
He hesitated,
his eyes darting between me and my men,
who remained as statues in the dark.
Slowly,
he reached into his overcoat and pulled out a sleek device.
The screen was already lit,
flooded with notifications that were turning his face a pale,
sickly shade of grey.
“What is this?”
he whispered,
his thumb scrolling frantically.
“That is your construction empire,
being dismantled piece by piece,”
I explained.
“Your offshore accounts in Grand Cayman?
Empty.
The permits for your luxury high-rise in Manhattan?
Revoked.
The police are currently entering your primary residence,
where they will find five kilograms of uncut narcotics hidden in your private safe.”
Richard’s breath hitched,
the rhythm of his lungs faltering.
“You’re lying.”
“I don’t lie about business,”
I said,
taking another step forward.
“I simply ensure that the ledger is balanced.”
He looked at the laptop,
the red numbers now reading 03:20.
“I still have the ledger!”
he screamed,
his composure finally shattering.
“I have the codes to the charity foundation!
I’ll drain it all!
I’ll destroy her name before I leave!”
Eleanor let out a muffled sound behind her gag,
a defiant grunt that made Richard flinch.
He turned toward her,
his face contorted with a sudden,
violent rage.
He raised his hand as if to strike her,
but my voice stopped him like a physical barrier.
“If you touch her again,
Richard,
I won’t just kill you.”
I paused,
letting the weight of the threat sink into the marrow of his bones.
“I will make sure you live for a very,
very long time,
and you will feel every second of it.”
The two guards shifted uncomfortably,
sensing the change in the atmosphere.
They weren't fighting for a boss anymore;
they were standing next to a sinking ship.
One of my men,
the one on the far left,
slowly raised a suppressed submachine gun.
The red laser dot found the center of the lead guard’s forehead,
steady and unblinking.
“Drop the weapons,”
my man said,
his voice a gravelly whisper.
“Or don't.
I haven't had a good hunt in weeks.”
Richard looked at his guards,
expecting loyalty,
but he found only the cold calculation of men who knew they were outmatched.
The metallic sound of pistols hitting the floor echoed through the warehouse.
“Cowards!”
Richard shrieked.
“I paid you millions!”
“Money is only useful if you’re alive to spend it,”
I noted,
watching the guards back away into the darkness.
Now it was just us.
The brother,
The sister,
And the man who thought he was a king.
The timer hit 02:45.
The blue light of the laptop seemed to grow brighter,
illuminating the sweat pouring down Richard’s face.
He lunged for the computer,
his fingers clawing at the keys.
“I’ll do it now!
I’ll wipe everything!”
But his hand stopped mid-air.
He stared at the screen,
his eyes widening in confusion.
“Access denied?”
he muttered.
“How?
I have the admin rights!”
I looked at Eleanor,
whose hand was still clenched behind her back,
the blood still dripping slowly onto the floor.
May you like
She wasn't just bleeding.
She was working.
