Chapter 8 - UNCOVERING THE DEEPER WEB
Back in his private study on the third floor, Marcus poured a fresh glass of scotch and opened a secure laptop.
His lead investigator, a sharp-eyed former federal agent named Vance, appeared instantly on the encrypted video screen.
"Boss, we dug into Arthur Pendelton's corporate network and found something far more disturbing than embezzlement," Vance reported.
Marcus leaned forward over the dark wood desk, his eyes narrowing into cold slits of lethal focus.
"Talk to me, Vance. What else was he hiding behind that respectable suburban mask?" Marcus demanded.
"Pendelton was funneling trust funds from three different orphanages into an offshore human trafficking and luxury extortion ring," Vance revealed.
The room fell into an icy silence, save for the crackling of the stone fireplace behind Marcus's leather chair.
"A child exploitation ring operating right here in the Midwest under the cover of legitimate charities," Marcus whispered dangerously.
"Yes, sir. And Arthur is just a low-level bagman for a much larger syndicate led by corporate elites in New York," Vance added.
Marcus took a slow sip of his whiskey, his jaw clenching so hard a muscle ticked along his sharp jawline.
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"Prepare my jet, Vance. We are going to dismantle every single brick of their empire starting tonight," Marcus commanded.
***
