Chapter 9 - The Mother's Bargain
I stared at the blinking red light on the flash drive, my mafia instincts screaming that something was wrong.
"Rachel," I said slowly, turning to look at the mother sitting in the seat across from me.
"Why is the drive emitting an active transmission signal?"
Rachel's face suddenly turned as pale as a ghost, and she reached into her jacket.
She pulled out a small, specialized detonator switch and held her thumb nervously over the button.
"I'm so sorry, Grant," she whispered, tears streaming down her bruised face.
"They told me if I didn't bring you here and detonate the drive, they would kill my parents in Ohio."
The cartel hadn't just used Victor and the Police Chief; they had thoroughly blackmailed Rachel as well.
The drive wasn't a ledger at all.
It was a highly advanced explosive device designed to wipe out the entire police precinct with me inside it.
Emma grabbed her mother's arm, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Mom, please don't do this!" the little girl begged.
I slowly reached into my pocket and pulled out my encrypted satellite phone.
"Rachel, look at this screen," I commanded, keeping my voice incredibly calm and gentle.
I showed her a live video feed of a heavily guarded safehouse in rural Ohio.
Her elderly parents were sitting comfortably in a living room, drinking tea and entirely unharmed.
"My men secured your family three hours ago," I explained softly.
"You don't have to follow their orders anymore."
Rachel stared at the screen, letting out a massive, shuddering breath of pure relief.
She dropped the detonator onto the floor of the armored van and buried her face in her hands.
I carefully picked up the explosive drive and locked it inside a heavy steel lockbox in the vehicle.
"Now," I said, stepping out of the van into the police garage and racking the slide of my weapon.
May you like
"Let's go take my city back."
We marched directly into the central command center of the precinct, ready to end the war.
