Chapter 4 - The Shadow of the Syndicate
While the executive offices of Holloway Urban Systems celebrated the downfall of Marcus Vance, another corner of Chicago was feeling the shockwaves of the arrest.
Deep inside an upscale private club in the River North district, Victor Vance sat in a plush leather booth, swirling an expensive scotch. Across from him sat two of his senior syndicate capos, their faces grim.
"Marcus is talking," one of the capos said quietly. "Federal investigators picked him up at the tower an hour ago. He’s already singing about the real estate fronts, the cash flows, and the syndicate connections to the adoption ring to shave years off his federal sentence."
Victor did not flinch. He took a slow sip of his drink, his hard eyes fixed on the amber liquid.
For years, Victor had tolerated his younger brother’s sideline operations in human trafficking and child brokering, viewing it as a gross, messy enterprise beneath the dignity of the Romano-Vance criminal empire. But now, Marcus’s incompetence had blown the lid off a network that intersected directly with federal jurisdiction and—worse still—collided head-on with Grant Holloway.
"Marcus was a fool who didn't know how to keep his vices separate from his business," Victor said coldly, setting his glass down with a sharp clink. "He brought this on himself."
"What about the girl?" the second capo asked. "The eight-year-old who blew the whistle. She’s currently staying at Grant Holloway’s private residence under armed security."
Victor’s eyebrows arched slightly. "Grant Holloway? The billionaire tech and construction magnate?"
"The same. Holloway has personal security teams guarding the estate around the clock. He’s also personally financing a federal grand jury investigation into Bright Harbor."
Victor stood up, adjusting his silk tie. A slow, dangerous smile crept across his mouth.
"Grant Holloway thinks he can play hero," Victor murmured. "He thinks because he builds skyscrapers and funds children's hospitals, he can clean up the streets of Chicago on his own terms. But he's stepping into waters he doesn't understand."
"What do you want us to do, Boss? Hit the estate?"
"No," Victor said sharply. "Holloway is too high-profile. If anything happens to him or the girl while they're under his roof, every federal agency in the country will descend upon our operations like a plague of locusts. We don't attack Holloway directly."
"Then how do we handle this?"
"We choke his supply lines," Victor smiled darkly. "Holloway Urban Systems is currently managing the multi-million-dollar municipal expansion of the downtown rail and transit terminals. If our unions strike, if our suppliers cut off his steel shipments, and if his permits get tied up in city hall committee rooms for six months, his corporate empire will bleed millions every single day."
May you like
Victor picked up his phone, dialing a private, encrypted number.
"Let's see how much charity work Grant Holloway can afford when his own board of directors starts voting to oust him for bankruptcy."
