Chapter 11 - The Shadow of the Past
The vibration of my phone broke the peaceful silence of the car.
I glanced at the caller ID and saw the encrypted number of the FBI Director.
My mother was resting comfortably in the passenger seat, oblivious to the digital intrusion.
I answered the call, keeping my voice low and professional as I steered the vehicle down the highway.
The Director did not waste time with pleasantries or congratulations on my recent victory.
He informed me that the IRS had failed to freeze all of Richard Sterling’s offshore accounts.
Brooke’s father had hidden nearly fifty million dollars in a decentralized cryptocurrency ledger.
With that kind of money, Richard was not just a disgraced businessman; he was a dangerous and desperate kingpin.
The Director warned me that Richard had hired a team of private military contractors to exact his revenge.
Their primary target was not me, but the one person I had just risked everything to save.
My blood ran cold as I looked over at my mother, who was peacefully watching the trees pass by.
I immediately executed a sharp U-turn across the highway median, the tires screaming against the asphalt.
My mother gasped, clutching the dashboard in sudden panic.
I told her everything was going to be fine, but my heart was hammering violently against my ribs.
I had destroyed Richard’s daughter, ruined his political puppets, and embarrassed him on a national scale.
A man with unlimited wealth and a shattered ego was the most unpredictable threat imaginable.
I dialed Agent Miller, my trusted colleague, and ordered an emergency tactical squad to my mother’s house.
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We were not going home today.
We were going to war.
