Chapter 20 - The Black Budget Vault
With only six hours remaining before Sterling’s noon deadline, Dominic did not wait for the enemy to assemble another strike team. Instead of fleeing, he launched an audacious, razor-sharp counteroffensive.
Using the geolocation metadata embedded within David’s files, Arthur pinpointed Sterling’s primary tactical hub in the Midwest—a heavily guarded private estate outside Lake Forest, disguised as an elite equestrian club. It was the nerve center where the strike team had been dispatched and where Vanguard’s high-ranking coordinator was currently managing the operation.
Dominic mobilized eighty elite Moretti foot soldiers who had assembled from secure safehouses across northern Illinois. Armored convoys rolled through the misty dawn roads with stealth and precision.
"We take the coordinator alive," Dominic ordered his captains over the encrypted tactical radios. "We take their communications hub. We strip Sterling of his eyes and ears."
Evelyn refused to stay behind on the barge. Clad in black tactical gear with her hair tied back, she rode in the command SUV beside Dominic. "I'm coming with you. The files have an active kill-switch that only my biometric scan can bypass. If they try to wipe their servers when you breach the compound, you'll need me."
Dominic looked at her determined face, recognizing the unyielding steel inside her. He knew there was no stopping her. He unholstered a compact silver automatic pistol and placed it into her hands.
"Keep your finger off the trigger until you intend to destroy whatever is in front of you," Dominic instructed softly.
"I won't hesitate," Evelyn replied, gripping the weapon with steady hands.
May you like
At 6:30 AM, the Moretti strike force hit the Lake Forest compound with catastrophic momentum. Guided by Arthur's satellite jamming, the compound’s alarms were rendered completely useless. Dominic’s soldiers blew open the steel gates, overwhelming the private security guards with tactical smoke and suppressive fire.
Dominic and Evelyn led the breach into the central villa, sweeping through the marble foyer with ruthlessness. Armed operatives scrambled in panic, caught completely off-guard by the mafia don they believed was buried under the ruins of his own home.