Chapter 13 - THE FAMILY COUNCIL
Thirty-two men sat inside the abandoned printing plant.
Every captain in the Kane organization.
Every old ally.
Every man who expected blood.
Vincent stood at the front.
Gabriel entered alone.
Conversation stopped.
Vincent smiled.
“Nephew.”
Gabriel removed his coat.
“Uncle.”
“You came.”
“You threatened my family.”
Vincent spread his hands.
“I am your family.”
Gabriel looked at Peter Vale’s covered body.
“Not anymore.”
Murmurs moved through the room.
Vincent addressed the captains.
“Gabriel has become weak.”
Nobody spoke.
“He has allowed outsiders to interfere with Kane business.”
“You mean accountants?” Gabriel asked.
A few men smiled.
Vincent’s jaw tightened.
“He started a war with Cross based on emotion.”
“That part is true.”
Vincent seemed surprised.
Gabriel continued.
“I was angry.”
He looked at the men.
“My brother died. I wanted someone to blame.”
Vincent watched him carefully.
“So I blamed Cross.”
Gabriel stepped forward.
“Because someone made sure I would.”
Silence.
Vincent laughed.
“Here we go.”
“You paid Peter to sabotage Nathan’s SUV.”
“Absurd.”
“You laundered money through seventeen shell companies.”
“Prove it.”
“Nathan already did.”
For the first time, some captains shifted.
Vincent raised his voice.
“Nathan betrayed this family.”
Gabriel stopped.
There.
The wire beneath his shirt transmitted every word.
“Betrayed how?”
Vincent realized his mistake.
He smiled.
“I’m speaking hypothetically.”
Gabriel pushed harder.
“He wanted out?”
“He wanted to destroy what your father built.”
“So you killed him?”
Vincent’s expression hardened.
“I protected the family.”
The room froze.
Gabriel’s heart pounded.
He had him.
But Vincent suddenly smiled.
Then he looked directly at Gabriel’s chest.
“Do you really think I didn’t check you for a wire?”
Gabriel went still.
Vincent snapped his fingers.
A jammer switched on.
The small light beneath Gabriel’s shirt died.
“Federal friends can’t hear us anymore.”
Men drew weapons.
Outside, Claire stared at the dead audio feed.
“No.”
Mason checked his radio.
“Signal blocked.”
Federal agents began moving.
Claire grabbed Nathan’s flash drive.
“Wait.”
Mason looked at her.
“What are you doing?”
“Vincent thinks he stopped the only recording.”
“He did.”
“No.”
Claire held up her phone.
“I installed a second transmitter in Gabriel’s cufflink.”
Mason stared.
“You bugged the boss?”
“I’m an accountant.”
“That explains nothing.”
“It explains trust issues.”
Inside, Vincent approached Gabriel.
“You always were too emotional.”
Gabriel smiled faintly.
“You always talked too much.”
Vincent frowned.
Gabriel touched his cuff.
Outside, Claire heard everything.
Vincent said, “Nathan forced my hand.”
Gabriel’s eyes went cold.
“You murdered Sarah too.”
“She was in the car.”
“You kidnapped Eli.”
“I needed leverage.”
“And Claire?”
Vincent smiled.
“She was supposed to disappear eleven months ago.”
Claire stopped breathing.
Gabriel’s fists tightened.
Vincent leaned closer.
“You know the funniest part?”
“What?”
“Nathan knew you loved her.”
Gabriel stared at him.
“So I planned to kill her next.”
That was enough.
Claire looked at the federal commander.
“You have the confession.”
He nodded.
“Move.”
Police vehicles exploded into the yard.
Vincent spun.
“What the hell?”
Gabriel smiled.
“My accountant.”
Gunfire erupted.
Men scattered.
Gabriel dove behind machinery.
Vincent ran toward the upper offices.
Gabriel followed.
Claire saw him disappear upstairs.
She grabbed Mason’s arm.
“Gabriel promised me he wouldn’t choose revenge.”
May you like
Mason looked toward the stairs.
“Then we’d better reach him before he forgets.”
