Chapter 28 - The Final Boardroom
By dawn, the news of the Geneva leak and the shootout had consumed the nation. The FBI was raiding Arthur’s properties, freezing his accounts, and arresting his associates. His empire was crumbling in real-time.
But a man like Arthur didn't surrender to the police. He sought refuge with his own kind.
Marcus managed to intercept an encrypted communication on Arthur’s personal frequency. "He’s called an emergency, final meeting of the Shadow Board. He wants them to activate their contingency funds to smuggle him out of the country."
"Where?" I demanded.
"The penthouse boardroom of the Apex Tower in Manhattan," Marcus replied. "It’s a private skyscraper owned by a shell company. Highly secure."
"Grant," I said, turning to the detective. "I want to walk in there before the feds do. I want to look him in the eye when his kingdom falls."
Grant nodded grimly. "We go in fast and hard. No warnings."
An hour later, Grant, Marcus, and I stood in the lobby of the Apex Tower. The private security guards attempted to stop us, but Grant slammed his badge onto the front desk, his hand resting menacingly on his sidearm.
"Interfere with a federal investigation, and you all go to prison for accessory to murder," Grant snarled. The guards wisely stepped back, raising their hands in surrender.
We bypassed the elevators, knowing Arthur would have locked them down. We took the service stairwell, climbing forty flights of stairs with burning lungs and relentless determination. We reached the heavy oak doors of the penthouse boardroom.
I didn't knock. I kicked the doors open with a thunderous crash.
The room was opulent, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Sitting around a massive, polished obsidian table were six wealthy, terrified men—the remaining members of the Shadow Board.
And sitting at the head of the table, looking incredibly old and desperate, was Arthur Pendelton.
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He didn't look like the confident legal advisor I had known my entire life. His expensive suit was wrinkled, his face pale, and his hands trembled slightly as he stared at me.
"It's over, Arthur," I said, stepping into the room, Grant and Marcus flanking me, weapons drawn. "There are no more moves on the board."
