Chapter 3 - Shadows of the Tribunal
The private airstrip outside the city was bathed in the harsh, white glare of floodlights. A sleek, black Gulfstream sat waiting on the tarmac, its twin engines humming a low, throbbing bass against the midnight wind.
Helena stood beside her single leather valise, refusing to look at the guards who flanked her. Her face was set in stone, ancient and unforgiving.
Roman stood a few paces away, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his heavy wool coat. He hadn't spoken a word to her since the study.
"You're making a mistake, Roman," Helena said, her voice carrying over the whine of the jet turbine. "Vance is still out there. Now that he knows you've cut off the payments, he won't wait for an invitation. He'll come for the girl. He'll come for Nora."
"Let him come," Roman said. His voice was flat, carrying the absolute finality of an executioner's axe. "For three years, I fought blind because I was surrounded by lies. Now I know the board. Now I know the players."
Helena looked at him for a long, searching moment—seeking the boy she had raised, the son she had molded into a monster. But she found only a stranger. A mafia boss who had finally outgrown his handlers.
Without another word, she turned and climbed the metal steps into the aircraft. The cabin door sealed shut behind her with a heavy, pressurized hiss. Within minutes, the jet taxied down the runway and lifted into the dark, starless sky, carrying the matriarch away from the empire she had built and destroyed.
Roman watched until the navigation lights vanished into the clouds. Then he turned on his heel and walked back toward the waiting bulletproof sedan where Dante held the door open.
"Sir," Dante said as Roman slid into the leather interior. "We secured Vance’s primary residence in the financial district. His men are scattering now that they realize the monthly wire transfers have stopped. Word is spreading that you're cleaning house."
"Good," Roman murmured, rubbing the bridge of his nose where a dull, throbbing headache had settled. "Where are Nora and Sophie?"
"Safely installed in the downtown safehouse, boss. Doctor’s already checked the little girl over. She’s malnourished, but nothing a few weeks of proper care won't fix. The clothing... well, the safehouse has been stocked with everything they need."
Roman nodded slowly. "And Vance?"
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"He’s holed up in his penthouse at the Apex Tower. Surrounded by his personal detail. He knows you're coming."
"Let him know," Roman said, his eyes catching the reflection of the city lights in the car window. "Tell him the bill is due."
