LOGIN"The South district logistics center," Hugo said, his jaw tight. "Takahashi’s ghosts hit the facility an hour ago."Dominic stared at the image. Shattered crates littered the concrete. Forklifts were flipped on their sides, and ruptured pipes were flooding the floor."Did we lose anyone?" Dominic asked, his voice deathly quiet."Every man is breathing," Hugo said, leaning over the desk. "The shooters locked the night crew in the breakroom. Then they took their time dismantling our entire inventory."Dominic flipped to the next photo. The massive steel rolling doors had been blown straight off their hinges."These guys are professionals," Dominic growled, his eyes turning pitch black. "They didn't come to crack heads. They came to wipe out our infrastructure. They left our boys alive just to make a point.""Ichiro is sending you a greeting," Hugo bared his teeth. "He’s proving he can touch us anywhere he wants. The boys want blood, Dom. They’re expecting a retaliation tonight. You want
Hugo kicked the study door open, slamming a thick folder onto the mahogany deskDominic Moretti didn't flinch. He picked it up. "You found him?""Took my boys thirty-six hours, but we have his coordinates," Hugo said, leaning over the space. "He’s sitting tight."Dominic flipped it open, staring at the glossy aerial photo. "A seaside villa. Private dock.""Right on the eastern cliffs," Hugo pointed a finger at the grid. "Property is registered under a shell company called Horizon Global Investments. The paperwork is completely spotless, Dom. They’ve been paying municipal taxes on the dot for years."Dominic traced the property boundaries on the map. "They bought this place four years ago.""Yeah, Tokyo played the long game," Hugo growled. "The syndicate set this foothold up years before Kenji even landed in Nova City. We were sleeping while they built a fortress."Dominic closed the folder, his eyes turning pitch black. "So Ichiro’s been squatting in my city for years, and we were com
A private yacht cut through the gray fog of the East Pier, moving in a total blackout. Ichiro Takahashi stood on the freezing deck, his trench coat snapping in the wind. He took a drag from his cigarette, the ember glowing an angry orange through the mist.Shinjiro hurried up behind him. "We're on the drop coordinates, Uncle.""Keep her at this speed," Ichiro said, his voice flat."The border patrols are fully focused downtown," Shinjiro checked his gear. "They aren't even looking at this sector.""Those state officials are too busy chasing briefcases of cash," Ichiro sneered, flicking the butt into the black ocean. "We deal in blood."The hull bumped heavily against the rotting dock. Twelve men stepped onto the slick wood planks, carrying heavy black duffel bags. They moved in synchronized silence, melting straight into the fog.Shinjiro checked his tactical watch. "Four teams, three men a piece. They're moving out now.""Good.""Kenji is still sitting in a federal cage," Shinjiro mu
Dominic shoved the contracts off his desk, sending the binders crashing to the floor.The door swung open. Ella marched in, dropping her briefcase onto a chair. "The port authority is signing off tomorrow morning, Dom. We just need your signature.""Cancel it," Dominic said, pouring a double bourbon. "Cancel all of it."Ella froze. She whipped her head up, staring at him. "What the hell do you mean, cancel it?""We're pulling the plug," Dominic said, downing the liquor. "Withdraw the applications. Freeze the asset transfers. Every legit front we just bought stops right now. We’re going dark.""Prosecutor Miller is expecting our audit reports by noon, Dom," Ella pushed back, her voice tight. "The state is demanding total transparency.""Transparency gets us killed, you idiot," Dominic snapped.Hugo stepped out of the shadows, tossing a glossy photograph onto the desk. "Ichiro Takahashi," Hugo said, his voice dead. "The Tokyo bosses just handed him the reins. He’s the current Chairman o
"Kenji is locked in a federal hole with zero outside comms," Lina said, grabbing her mug. "He couldn't have signed off on this.""He didn't," Sophia whispered, pulling up the signature extraction. A hidden encryption tag materialized in the corner. "Look at the account. It’s a familial corporate vault."Lina leaned closer, her eyes narrowing. "Whose name?""Ichiro Takahashi," Sophia said, her voice dropping.Lina yanked her black journal over, ripping through her logs. "We don't have him, Sophia! Blankenship never mentioned this guy. Russos left him off the ledger. Why is his file a complete blank?""Because he doesn't exist on public grids," Sophia said, A bloody red banner flashed across the screen. "Look at his profile."Lina stared at the restriction tag. "What’s his day job?""He doesn't have one," Sophia said, her face turning pale. "He sits on the supreme seat. He’s the current Chairman of the Yamaguchi-gumi. The top boss of the entire Japanese syndicate."Lina dropped her pen.
The surgeon stepped out, ripping off his bloody mask. Moss didn't ask nicely; she blocked his path, her hand on her belt. "Talk to me. Is he a corpse?""He's a lucky bastard," the surgeon panted, wiping sweat. "The bullet chipped his right lung. Two centimeters to the left and you’d be talking to the coroner.""I don't care about his luck. I need his mouth open," Moss snapped. "The grand jury opens tomorrow morning. When does he talk?""He doesn't," the surgeon said, tossing the mask into the trash. "He’s in an induced coma. He’s going to stay that way for months. He isn't talking to anyone, Inspector."Moss cursed, turning on her heel. She speed-dialed the secure line."Give me good news, Rachel," Chief Prosecutor Miller barked."Victor’s breathing," Moss muttered, her boots slamming against the floor. "But he’s a vegetable in the ICU. Hooked up to tubes. No testimony. Zero."Miller let out a jagged curse. "Takahashi’s lawyers are going to march into court tomorrow and demand a total







