Chapter 3 - Treachery in the Inner Circle
By 2:00 AM, the storm over Lake Michigan had intensified, lashing the steel-and-glass skyline of Chicago with torrential rain.
Inside the basement vaults of the Castellano estate, Roland’s private intelligence team worked in feverish silence. Computer screens flashed with decrypted medical logs, wiretaps, and offshore bank transfers dating back four years.
Marlene stood beside Roland, watching the data stream across the monitors. For four years, she had fought corrupt cops, dismissive social workers, and dead-end leads. Now, the full, terrifying machinery of the Chicago underworld was moving at her command.
"Got it," whispered Dominic, Roland’s chief cybersecurity officer. "Saint Luke’s ICU transfer logs from four years ago. The falsified death certificate for Noah Walsh was authorized by Dr. Harold Vance."
"Where is Vance now?" Roland demanded, leaning over Dominic’s shoulder.
"Dead," Dominic replied. "Drowned in his pool two years ago. But the bank account that received the fifty-thousand-dollar wire wasn't in Switzerland. It was routed through an internal escrow account right here in Chicago."
Dominic clicked a key. The account holder’s name appeared on the screen in bold red letters:
Pike Logistics & Import Corp.
Marlene gasped, taking a step back.
Roland turned slowly. His expression didn't change, but his eyes turned into two ice-cold voids.
Standing at the top of the vault stairs, holding a submachine gun with his silenced sidearm drawn, was Walter Pike. Beside him were six senior guards—men who had sworn loyalty to the Castellano family for over a decade.
"You always were too smart for your own good, Roland," Pike said with a dry, bitter laugh.
"Pike," Roland said smoothly, not raising his hands, stepping subtly in front of Marlene to shield her with his massive frame. "Four years ago, you stole a newborn child from a hospital."
"I didn't just steal him," Pike sneered, his eyes flicking to Marlene with pure disgust. "I sold him to Victor Moretti. The Moretti family was looking for rare donor lines for Victor’s failing blood therapy. When I saw the baby's donor file, I knew Victor would pay millions for him."
Pike leaned against the handrail, his gun pointed straight at Roland’s chest.
"And six months ago," Pike continued, "when your twins fell ill with the exact same autoimmune failure, I knew my time was coming. I’ve been slowly slipping synthetic toxins into Mateo and Sofia’s daily vitamins, Roland. I created their illness."
Marlene let out a strangled scream of pure horror. "You poisoned two innocent children?!"
"I poisoned them so Roland would be broken by grief!" Pike barked, his face twisting with long-buried rage. "So he would step down and hand the Castellano empire over to me! I never expected this worthless bitch to walk through the front door carrying the missing piece of the puzzle!"
"Where is Noah, Pike?" Roland asked. His voice was eerily calm, the calm before an apocalyptic storm.
May you like
"He's at Victor Moretti’s private compound in Lake Forest," Pike smirked, clicking the safety off his weapon. "He’s been kept in an underground medical wing for four years as Victor’s personal blood bank. And now, none of you are leaving this vault alive. The twins will die by sunrise, Roland. And I will take Chicago."
Before Pike could pull the trigger, Roland acted.
