Chapter 4 - THE SHADOW OPERATION
The early morning light that filtered through the high-security windows of the temporary safe house in downtown Chicago was a pale, crisp silver.
Preston sat at the metal table, his beige jacket discarded, his eyes fixed on the scrolling rows of financial transactions displayed on the monitor.
Beside him, his older brother, Captain Marcus Bennett of the Federal Treasury's Forensic Division, was rapidly entering data into a secure laptop.
"We have tracked the chemical shipments of the sedative back to a dummy pharmaceutical firm in Panama, Preston," Marcus reported, his voice steady and unyielding.
"The company is owned exclusively by Victoria's brother, Richard, and the transactions were funded by the siphoned employee retirement accounts."
"They didn't just stage the nursery, Preston; they have been systematically poisoning your daily morning coffee for six months."
"Dr. Robert Sterling, the private medical consultant Victoria hired, has been signing off on your 'cognitive decline' evaluations to prepare the court files."
Preston clutched his cup of black coffee, his jaw locking so tightly that a tiny muscle twitched beneath his ear.
"They wanted me dead or committed to a private asylum before the twins' naming ceremony next week," Preston realized, his voice dropping into a lethal whisper.
"Because under my father's original will, the twelve-million-dollar maritime trust fund automatically transfers to the twins' exclusive names on that date."
"Unless a court-appointed guardian declares me residentially and mentally unstable."
Mark Ellison, the family’s private attorney, stepped into the secure room, carrying the locked silver briefcase containing the federal indictments.
"The federal marshals have already pre-authorized the emergency arrest warrants under the grand larceny and corporate fraud statutes, Preston," Mark said.
"But if we simply file a standard police report, their corporate attorneys will find a way to delay the trial until after the merger is finalized."
"Once the assets are integrated, the Aldridge shipping lines will be legally absorbed into their bankrupt shell company."
"We are not going to a courtroom tomorrow morning, Mark," Preston said, a cold, sharp smile finally replacing the exhaustion on his face.
"The annual shareholders' gala is scheduled for eight o'clock tonight in the grand ballroom of the Drake Hotel."
"Victoria and Richard believe they are preparing to celebrate their ultimate corporate triumph in front of their wealthiest international investors."
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"We are going to let them host their beautiful performance."
"And then, we are going to drop the sky on their heads."
