Inside the quiet, brightly lit cabin of the private jet, Elena sat comfortably in the plush beige leather seat. The low hum of the jet engine was a soothing backdrop as the plane leveled off at thirty thousand feet above the dark ground. She held a glass of cold ice water in one hand, using a damp cloth with the other to carefully wipe the small smear of dried blood from her cheek. On the table in front of her, a digital tablet displayed a real-time feed of the Sterling Global stock price, which was already plunging rapidly in after-hours trading.
Her phone buzzed loudly on the leather armrest. She picked it up immediately, seeing an incoming encrypted call from her chief investigator, Detective Miller.
Elena: Report.
Detective Miller: Julian Sterling just broke through a police checkpoint at his estate. He's speeding toward the private terminal in a frantic panic.
Elena: Let him drive. It makes him look even more guilty on the official record.
Detective Miller: What about his mother? She's currently in the ICU at Dallas General.
Elena: Evelyn Sterling isn't sick, Detective. She ingested a mild paralytic compound thirty minutes before the party to fake a sudden cardiac event.
Detective Miller: What? Why would she do that?
Elena: Because she knew I was coming. They planned to stage an emergency to delay the service of the federal warrant. She didn't expect her son to violently assault a prosecutor on camera.
Detective Miller: That entire family is insane. What are your orders regarding the corporate assets?
Elena: Execute the full seizure order immediately. Seize every property, every vehicle, and every bank account registered under the Sterling name.
Detective Miller: Understood, Ms. Vance. The local police are also issuing an arrest warrant for Julian for felony assault and evading arrest.
Elena: Good. Make sure the press has full access when they put the handcuffs on him.
Elena ended the call and placed the phone back on the small table. She looked out the thick window of the airplane, watching the distant lights of Dallas disappear into the dark night sky. She touched the small cut near her collarbone, her expression unreadable and cold. Years of corrupt dealings by the Sterling family were finally coming to an end, and no amount of money could buy their way out of this trap.
Meanwhile, miles below on the highway, Julian pushed his luxury sedan to its maximum speed. The speedometer needle hovered well past a hundred miles per hour as he wove through late-night traffic. His hands clamped onto the leather steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned stark white. His phone rang repeatedly through the car speakers, displaying caller ID entries from his board members, bank managers, and news reporters. He ignored them all, keeping his eyes locked strictly on the road ahead.
He could see the bright lights of the private airfield appearing in the distance. His mind raced with excuses he could make, apologies he could offer, or deals he could propose to buy Elena's silence. But as he turned onto the airport access road, three black SUV vehicles pulled out from the side shadows, blocking the lane completely with their high beams flashing bright white.