Chapter 13 - The Anonymous Letter From Washington
Two weeks after the Sunday family dinner, a certified envelope arrived at the Kerrville ranch post office box from Washington D.C.
It bore no return address, only a red wax seal featuring the emblem of an elite international private equity firm.
Richard opened the envelope sitting at his oak desk in the study, pulling out a single sheet of heavy parchment paper.
The letter contained no formal greeting, jumping directly into a chilling, precise message written in elegant black ink.
"Mr. Richard Vance," the letter began.
"You successfully dismantled Marcus Sterling’s local operation in Houston, but Sterling was merely a regional asset manager."
"The mineral rights beneath the Kerrville property contain a strategic federal lithium deposit vital to the national defense grid."
"The United States Department of Defense will initiate eminent domain acquisition proceedings on October 1st."
"You have sixty days to accept the federal appraisal value of twelve million dollars and vacate the premises voluntarily."
"If you refuse, the property will be seized under Executive Order 13603, and any physical resistance will be met with federal force."
May you like
Richard set the letter down onto his desk, his silver eyebrows furrowing as his heart beat with familiar tactical intensity.
He walked over to the window, looking out at the limestone hills where his family had lived for four generations.
