Chapter 14 - The Shadow From The Windy City
The name Dominick Miller hung in the sweet spring air like a toxic cloud smothering the countryside peace.
Sarah remembered Vincent’s paranoid words inside the Gulfstream cabin forty thousand feet above the Atlantic:
"Is it the Moretti family in Chicago? Did they send you to sabotage this exchange?"
Vincent had suspected the Chicago mob from the very beginning, unaware that his own family blood ran through their ranks.
"Dominick Miller has been waiting thirty years for this trust to default," the lawyer added, adjusting his silk tie.
"He already knows the location of this farmhouse, Miss Sarah," the lawyer warned in a low, conspiratorial whisper.
"He knows about Emily, he knows about baby Liam, and he knows about the Swiss trust documents in your hands."
Sarah turned her head toward the backyard, where Emily was pushing Liam on the wooden swing set under the maple tree.
The innocent laughter of the baby echoed across the lawn, unaware of the shadowy forces gathering on the horizon.
"How long do I have before Dominick acts?" Sarah asked, her tone shifting instantly into a tactical battle mindset.
"The trust deadline expires in forty-eight hours, on Liam’s first birthday," the lawyer stated, looking at his gold pocket watch.
"If you do not sign the acceptance documents in person at the Swiss Consulate in Manhattan by Friday noon, the default is final."
"And once Dominick takes control of the foundation, he will eliminate any competing bloodlines permanently."
Sarah snatched the parchment file from the lawyer's hand, shoving it into her white trench coat pocket with a decisive flick.
"Get back in your car and drive away," Sarah commanded sternly, her blue eyes flashing with dangerous energy.
"If I see this Lincoln on my road again, I won't use legal courts to deal with you."
The lawyer bowed his head respectfully, stepping back into the dark blue sedan without uttering another word.
The Lincoln turned slowly on the gravel driveway, its tires kicking up small stones as it sped back toward the main highway.
Sarah stood on the dirt road for five minutes, watching the dust settle while her mind calculated her next fifty moves.
She walked back to the rear of the farmhouse, her posture completely calm so as not to alarm her niece on the lawn.
"Emily," Sarah said gently, stepping onto the lush green grass with a warm, reassuring smile.
"Pack a bag for you and Liam right now. We're going to stay at a hotel in the city for a few days."
Emily looked up from the swing, her young face instantly showing concern at her aunt’s sudden request.
"Is something wrong, Aunt Sarah?" Emily asked, holding Liam’s tiny hands as the boy giggled on the swing.
"Nothing is wrong, sweetheart," Sarah lied smoothly, kissing the top of Liam’s soft head.
"We just have some final legal paperwork to finish in Manhattan so we can put this family business behind us forever."
Ten minutes later, Sarah stood inside her bedroom, opening a hidden floorboard beneath her wooden wardrobe.
Inside the dark compartment sat a black tactical duffel bag containing three passports, two handguns, and an encrypted phone.
She picked up the encrypted phone, dialing a number she had sworn she would never use again in her life.
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The call connected on the first ring, a gravelly, familiar voice answering from a federal detention facility in New Jersey.
"I knew you'd call eventually, Sarah," Vincent Miller said over the static line. "Is Dominick in New York?"
