Chapter 46 - The Queen’s Checkmate
While Luca prepared to launch a physical assault on the Aegis compound, Hannah knew that a tactical strike alone would not permanently neutralize a government-backed military contractor. If Blackwood survived, he would spin the attack to the federal authorities, branding Luca as a rogue mobster and bringing the full weight of the FBI down on the Moretti estate.
To destroy Blackwood completely, she had to dismantle his legitimacy. She had to ruin him in the light.
Hannah retreated to her private office, a sprawling, secure room filled with high-end monitors and encrypted communication terminals. She summoned her foundation’s elite team of forensic accountants and cyber-security experts.
"The Aegis Group relies on multi-billion-dollar federal contracts," Hannah briefed her team, her voice crisp and commanding. "Director Blackwood is arrogant. Arrogant men always leave a financial paper trail. I want you to tear apart his offshore shell companies. Find the illegal kickbacks, the unauthorized black-ops funding, and the bribes he paid to secure those federal contracts."
For six hours, while the tactical teams geared up downstairs, Hannah directed a ruthless, devastating digital war. Her team traced the encrypted cryptocurrency funds Blackwood had used to pay the mercenaries in Boston. They uncovered a massive, illegal slush fund tied to human trafficking operations in Eastern Europe—operations Aegis had been covertly protecting.
By 3:00 AM, Hannah had compiled a legally airtight, absolutely damning digital dossier that proved Blackwood was not a patriot, but an international war criminal.
She didn't send it to the local police. She bypassed the bureaucracy entirely. Hannah utilized her vast network of billionaire philanthropists to personally deliver the encrypted files directly to the Director of the FBI, the Secretary of Defense, and the editors-in-chief of the three largest national newspapers.
Within minutes, the response was catastrophic for Aegis.
Federal arrest warrants were immediately drafted for Sterling Blackwood and his entire executive board. The Department of Defense unilaterally severed all active contracts with the firm, freezing their domestic assets.
Hannah sat back in her leather chair, watching the news alerts begin to break on the monitors. The media was already dubbing it the greatest defense contracting scandal of the century. She had effectively stripped Blackwood of his armor, his money, and his government protection.
She picked up her encrypted radio, pressing the button to connect with Luca’s tactical team.
May you like
"The board is set, Luca," Hannah said coldly, her voice echoing into the headsets of the strike team. "Aegis is officially a rogue, federally condemned criminal organization. You have a green light. Burn it all down."
---
