Chapter 17 - The Midnight Interrogation
Deep beneath the east wing of the Lake Forest estate, far below the manicured lawns and the quiet family quarters, lay the subterranean holding facility. It was a masterpiece of modern engineering and cold, clinical efficiency—soundproofed, climate-controlled, and entirely divorced from the world above.
Three figures sat bound to heavy steel-framed chairs in the center of the reinforced titanium interrogation suite. They were elite operatives of the Hollow Court, handpicked for their ruthless efficiency and specialized training in corporate sabotage. Less than an hour ago, they had breached our outer perimeter sensors, fully believing they were slipping past the defenses of a weakened syndicate boss.
Now, they were simply staring up from the concrete floor, nursing concussions delivered by non-lethal sonic disrupters, looking entirely bewildered as the heavy pneumatic doors hissed open.
I walked into the room alone, wearing a dark wool overcoat, my footsteps echoing sharply against the seamless alloy floor. I didn't raise my voice. I didn't need to. The sheer weight of the Moretti name—and the terrifying reputation of the empire that surrounded them—hung heavier in the room than any physical restraint.
The leader of the cell, a scarred mercenary with cold eyes and a European military posture, strained against his titanium cuffs, glaring up at me with defiant hatred. “You think hiding behind concrete walls and children makes you untouchable, Moretti? The Court will—”
“The Court is already history,” I interrupted quietly, my voice cutting through the sterile air with absolute, chilling finality.
I stopped five feet away from him, pulling a small silver drive from my coat pocket and placing it squarely on the stainless steel table between us.
“That drive contains every financial ledger, shell corporation, and operative roster belonging to your superiors in Zurich,” I continued, watching the color rapidly drain from the mercenary's face. “Your leadership thought they were sending hunters. In reality, they just handed me the keys to what remains of their European network.”
“How... how did you—”
“We don't just defend our borders,” I said, leaning down slightly so my eyes met his with unyielding intensity. “We own the board. You came here looking for a ghost in the dark, but you walked right into a sovereign state.”
May you like
I straightened up, giving a single, subtle nod toward the observation glass at the back of the room. The reinforced doors slid open instantly, and two of our tactical specialists stepped forward to unstrap the captives.
“Send them back to Zurich on the red-eye cargo flight,” I instructed without breaking eye contact with the shaken mercenary. “Tell the Hollow Court that if any of their operatives ever step foot on American soil again, I won't just take their assets. I’ll dismantle their entire continent brick by brick.”
