Chapter 6 - The Broken Alliance
The peace in Lake Forest lasted exactly forty-eight hours before the first crack appeared in the new world order. At 8:00 AM on Friday morning, a series of coordinated explosions ripped through two of the Voss family’s legitimate logistics warehouses near the Gary, Indiana border, destroying four million dollars of high-end medical equipment destined for European distribution.
Callum stood in the tactical hub of the estate, his face a frozen mask of pure fury as Marcus brought up the security feeds from the Indiana facility.
"It wasn't Donato," Marcus said, zooming in on the thermal signature of the lead saboteur. "Donato is too smart to move this fast. It’s Vivienne. She’s hired a rogue crew of mercenaries out of Detroit—men who don't report to the Kane council. She’s using her own personal inheritance trusts to fund a private vendetta against you, Callum."
"She’s trying to force my hand," Callum murmured, his gray eyes tracking the movement of the mercenary vehicles on the screen. "She wants me to retaliate against her father so the entire city goes up in flames. She thinks if she causes enough chaos, the German logistics acquisition will fall through due to the volatility of our assets."
The door to the command center opened, and Iris stepped inside, holding Wren by the hand. The little girl was wearing a pair of yellow rain boots and a soft denim jacket, her gray eyes wide with curiosity as she looked at the glowing blue monitors.
"Callum, what’s happening?" Iris asked, her voice tight with a sudden, protective alarm as she saw the tactical gear my men were donning. "The guards at the inner fence just cleared their weapons."
Callum turned to face his wife, his expression softening instantly as he walked over to kneel before his daughter. "Wren, sweet girl, can you go with Uncle Marcus to the kitchen? He’s got a tray of fresh blueberry muffins waiting for you."
Wren looked at her mother, then back at Callum, her small head tilting to the left in the exact way Iris used to do when she was measuring a situation. "Are the bad men coming, Daddy?"
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The word Daddy hit Callum with the force of an electrical current, a sudden, fierce rush of protective adrenaline expanding behind his ribs. He rose to his full height, his gaze fixed on Iris with an intensity that promised absolute devastation to anyone who dared threaten the peace of his household.
"No, sweet girl," Callum said softly, his voice carrying the weight of an unshakeable vow. "The bad men are staying exactly where they are. Marcus, take them to the reinforced wing. Iris, stay with her. I’m going to Detroit to end this permanently."
