Chapter 10 - The Fall of the House
A collective gasp rippled through the board. Two institutional investors stood up, backing away from the table as if it were contaminated with plague.
Vincent lunged for his leather folio, his fingers clawing at the documents, his eyes darting wildly toward the private executive elevator behind the dais. "Security! These people are intruders! They are trespassing on corporate property!"
Two private security guards stepped forward from the corners of the room, their hands dropping toward their holsters.
Frank Vance stepped through the broken doorway, holding a high-capacity tactical shotgun leveled at waist height, flanked by six uniformed officers of the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and two federal marshals.
"Keep your hands on your ties, gentlemen," Frank roared, his voice shaking the glass partitions. "The building is surrounded by federal agents. State troopers have the street sealed from Wall to the river."
The lead federal marshal strode down the center aisle, pulling a set of heavy steel handcuffs from his leather belt.
"Vincent Montgomery," the marshal announced, his voice flat as an iron door. "You are under arrest for attempted murder in the first degree, federal wire fraud, maritime smuggling, and witness tampering. You have the right to remain silent."
Vincent didn't speak. He sank back into the leather chair, his manicured hands shaking so violently that he couldn't lift them to receive the steel cuffs. As the ratchets clicked around his wrists, his eyes crossed Julian’s one final time.
Julian did not curse him. He did not step forward to strike the man who had tried to drown his wife. He stood with his arm wrapped around Katherine’s shoulder, his hand buried in the scruff of the dog’s neck, watching the brother-in-law who had traded his soul for numbers on a screen being led down the carpeted aisle in chains.
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When the heavy doors closed behind the police escort, Julian looked at the remaining members of the board of directors.
"The meeting is adjourned," Julian said. "Permanently."
