Chapter 5 - The Web Of Lies
Inside the medallion was a microscopic micro-SD card, sealed behind a thin sheet of gold leaf. Vincent had prepared for the worst long before Dominic made his move.
I plugged the drive into an encrypted laptop while Dr. Morales monitored Vincent’s fluctuating vital signs in the back bedroom. As the files decrypted, the true magnitude of the betrayal unraveled on the screen.
Dominic hadn't worked alone. He had forged a secret alliance with the rival Moretti syndicate across the river and three high-ranking federal prosecutors. Dominic had agreed to assassinate Vincent, seize the family assets, and hand over seventy percent of the shipping docks to the Morettis in exchange for total immunity from federal indictment.
The contract was signed in digital ink. The date on the wire transfers showed that Dominic had received an initial payment of forty million dollars three weeks ago.
""Look at this,"" I whispered to Camille, showing her the surveillance logs stored on the drive. Dominic had been systematically blackmailing members of our own security team, paying off debts or threatening their families to ensure no guards were stationed on Vincent’s floor at 9:00 AM.
Suddenly, the red perimeter warning light on the lodge's control panel began to flash silently.
On the security monitors, four black SUVs had just breached the outer tree line, their headlights extinguished, creeping through the mud like silent predators.
""How did they find us?"" Camille cried, clutching Adeline against her chest.
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I looked at the window, my mind racing through every precaution we had taken. Then my eyes fell on the child’s coat. Pinned to the collar was a tiny silver butterfly brooch that Dominic had given her two weeks ago for her name day.
A GPS transmitter.
