Chapter 6 - THE CITY OF LIES
The black boat cut through the turbulent waves of the Hudson, leaving the dark silhouettes of the Sterling Manor compound far behind. Inside the climate-controlled cabin, Maria wrapped Leo in a warm wool emergency blanket, feeding him hot soup from the boat's survival kit.
Leo’s color was slowly returning, though he still clung tightly to his father’s coat whenever the engine thundered over a wave.
"Where are we going, Mr. Sterling?" Maria asked, her voice trembling slightly. "If your brother controls the security team and the local police, where is it safe?"
"Julian controls the local authorities in Westchester," Richard said, his hands steady on the leather steering wheel. "He doesn't control the Federal Reserve, and he doesn't control the United States Attorney’s Office."
Richard hit a speed-dial button on the boat’s encrypted satellite comms system. The line ringed three times before a sharp, authoritative female voice answered.
"Richard? It’s past midnight. What’s going on?"
"Victoria," Richard said clearly. "I need you at the Manhattan Federal Courthouse in forty-five minutes. Bring a team of federal marshals and the regional director of the SEC."
Victoria Vance was Richard’s estranged half-sister—and the Chief Federal Prosecutor for the Southern District of New York. Unlike Julian, who had chosen corporate corruption, Victoria had spent her career putting white-collar criminals behind bars.
"Richard, what are you talking about?" Victoria asked, her tone sharpening instantly. "Julian told me you were taking a leave of absence due to mental instability after Leo’s..."
"Leo is sitting right beside me," Richard interrupted, his voice thick with raw emotion. "He is alive, Victoria. Julian and Eleanor locked him behind the walls of my own house for three months to steal the estate."
There was a long, dead silence on the line. The sound of papers shuffling rapidly could be heard over the receiver.
"Say that again," Victoria whispered, her tone turning from tired confusion to absolute steel.
"I have digital audio files recorded by Leo himself," Richard continued. "Names, offshore accounts, wire transfers, and the blueprint for the entire murder plot. They tried to execute us on the dock. We are coming in by river to Pier 17."
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"I’m deploying the Federal Marshal Special Response Team right now," Victoria declared coldly. "If what you’re telling me is true, Richard... Julian won't just go to prison. I will make sure he never sees daylight again."
As the boat sped under the George Washington Bridge, Richard looked back at the dark waters. He knew Julian wouldn't surrender easily. A cornered predator was at its most dangerous, and Julian had billions of dollars at his disposal to buy his way out of the country.
