Chapter 6 - The Ghost of the Past
The threat hung in the air long after the call disconnected. Mark didn't panic; instead, a cold, surgical focus took over. He wasn't just a wealthy CEO; before taking over the family empire, he had spent five years working as an intelligence analyst for federal security agencies. You don't threaten a man like Mark Sterling in his own home and expect to walk away.
He forwarded the encrypted call routing data to his old contact at the FBI cyber-division, requesting an immediate trace.
At 6:00 AM, the first rays of sunlight pierced through the study windows. A secure notification pinged on his laptop screen: Trace complete. Signal originated from a private relay server registered to Drake Logistics headquarters in downtown Chicago.
Mark closed his laptop, stood up, grabbed his heavy wool overcoat from the rack, and walked out the door. It was time to pay Harrison Drake a visit.
Meanwhile, across town at the county detention facility, Victoria sat on the edge of her metal cot. Her cell door clicked open, and a guard motioned her forward.
“You have a visitor, inmate Laurent.”
Victoria stood up, expecting her defense attorney. Instead, stepping into the glass partition room was a man in an expensive dark suit—Harrison Drake himself.
Victoria picked up the heavy plastic phone receiver, pressing it against her ear. “Harrison! Get me out of here! Your little assassin plan fell apart because of that brat!”
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Drake didn't smile. His face was carved from stone. “You failed, Victoria. And because you were sloppy enough to get caught by a six-year-old, you’re on your own. My lawyers have already severed all ties. If you mention my name to the police, your sentence won't be the only thing you have to worry about.”
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