Chapter 9 - THE FALL OF THE BLOODLINE
The flashbang grenade detonated with a blinding flare of white magnesium light and a bone-jarring thunderclap.
The concussive wave shattered the remaining shards of the glass partition.
Victor Kane was thrown sideways against the marble reception desk, his revolver clattering across the floor.
Dominic and Julian dropped to their knees, covering their ringing ears and screaming in agony.
"Federal agents! Nobody move!"
A tactical team from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, flanked by United States Marshals, swarmed the corridor.
Dozens of high-powered tactical lights pierced the smoke.
Laser sights illuminated the dust motes floating in the air.
"Hands on your heads! Down on the ground right now!"
Marcus Hale immediately stepped between Alexander and the tactical officers, keeping his hands open and raised.
"Friendly! Security personnel on this side! Weapons are holstered!" Marcus announced with drill-sergeant clarity.
Two federal agents pinned Victor Kane to the floor.
An agent drove a combat boot between Victor's shoulder blades, wrenching his thick wrists behind his back.
The cold click of steel handcuffs echoed clearly over the hiss of venting smoke.
"Victor Kane, you are under arrest pursuant to a federal warrant issued by the Southern District of New York," an agent recited coldly.
"Charges include wire fraud, commercial extortion, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and interstate racketeering."
Victor's face was mashed against the floor tile.
He turned his bloodied cheek toward Alexander, his teeth bared in an animalistic snarl.
"You rat!" Victor spat, blood bubbling on his lips.
"You sold out your own blood to the feds!"
"You're a traitor to your father's grave!"
Alexander walked forward, crunching broken glass beneath his dress shoes.
He stopped right above his uncle.
Alexander did not look angry.
He did not look triumphant.
He looked as though he were inspecting a piece of diseased timber that had finally been pulled from a foundation.
"My father died an accomplice to your theft, Victor."
"He was too weak to stop you."
"I am not."
Alexander pointed toward the elevator lobby.
"Get him out of my building."
The federal agents hoisted Victor to his feet.
Dominic and Julian were already in flex-cuffs, weeping openly as they were pushed down the corridor.
Julian was babbling incoherent offers of cooperation to the arresting agents.
"I have the offshore routing numbers!" Julian sobbed.
"Victor forced me to sign the vendor authorizations!"
"I'll testify against Victor and Dominic!"
"Save it for your arraignment, Mr. Kane," the marshal muttered, pushing him through the door.
Richard Vance and Vincent Kane were brought up from the garage levels in custody moments later.
Vincent’s nose was broken, having attempted to fight the marshals in the basement parking bay.
Richard looked like a hollow shell of a man, his eyes vacant, staring at the floor.
The entire executive wing of the Kane dynasty had been reduced to a line of convicts in zip-ties within twelve minutes.
Elena Shaw stepped through the shattered glass entryway, holding a signed judicial order.
"The federal magistrate in Manhattan just signed the emergency preservation injunction," Elena announced, her voice ringing with authority.
"Every bank account, domestic trust, and commercial asset tied to Victor, Julian, Dominic, Richard, and Vincent is frozen."
"Their personal residences are subject to federal forfeiture liens."
"Their passports are flagged at every international departure terminal in North America."
Elena turned to Alexander.
"As of 4:15 AM, Kane Holdings is officially under the administrative supervision of the independent board committee."
Alexander let out a long, slow breath that seemed to carry the exhaustion of ten lifetimes.
Claire walked up beside him.
She looked at the broken glass, the smoke stains on the ceiling, and the empty executive chairs through the open doorways.
"It’s over," Claire whispered.
"The criminal syndicate is finished."
"The crime syndicate is finished," Samuel Price corrected, leaning heavily on his cane as he approached them.
"But the real battle hasn't even begun."
Alexander turned to the old attorney.
"What battle, Samuel?"
"The family is in handcuffs."
"The servers are secure."
Samuel opened the thin leather briefcase he held under his arm.
He pulled out a heavy, red-leather-bound folio tied with gold legal ribbon.
"The battle for the soul of what remains, Alexander."
"Under the original terms of Eleanor Kane’s charter, the arrest of the family executives triggers the final dissolution phase."
"Kane Holdings cannot continue as a private corporation."
"The foundation must execute the covenant before the opening bell on Wall Street."
"If the new board is not seated by 9:00 AM, the New York Stock Exchange will halt trading on all Kane commercial debt."
"The banks will accelerate the loans."
"And the entire five-billion-dollar enterprise will be liquidated at fire-sale prices by noon."
Samuel looked at the five individuals standing in the corridor: Claire, Daniel, Marcus, Elena, and Luis.
May you like
"Come upstairs," Samuel said quietly.
"It is time to open Eleanor's vault."
