Chapter 15 - THE SHADOWY PARTNER
Back in New York City, Arthur Sterling slammed his fist onto his glass desk as his encrypted burner phone went dead.
His primary contact in Chicago—Elena Vance—had gone completely dark following a federal raid on her estate.
"Stupid, incompetent woman," Arthur hissed, pacing across his high-rise penthouse office overlooking Wall Street.
If Elena cracked under federal interrogation, she would expose their entire multi-billion-dollar corporate raiding syndicate.
Arthur picked up another secure satellite phone, dialing a ciphered number connecting directly to the West Coast cartels.
"We have a security breach in Chicago. Marcus Vance is cleaning house and cooperating with the Feds," Arthur reported urgently.
A deep, distorted voice crackled through the encrypted speaker on the other end of the line.
"Marcus Vance is confined to a wheelchair and politically isolated. How much damage can a cripple do?" the voice mocked.
"He's not as crippled as you think. He found an apothecary chemist who knows our exact formula," Arthur warned grimly.
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"Then take care of the chemist, and make sure Marcus Vance never leaves his mansion alive," the voice commanded before hanging up.
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