Chapter 6 - THE GARAGE FIREFIGHT
The heavy silence of the Blackstone Meridian sub-level parking garage was shattered by the sharp, metallic click of Eric’s weapon.
Master Chen didn't flinch. His dark, emotionless eyes swept across the dimly lit garage, taking in the reinforced concrete pillars, the idling black SUVs, and the three Blackstone security operatives flanking Eric from the shadows.
"Eric Park," Chen said in smooth, accented English, his hands resting casually at his sides despite the gun pointed at his heart. "The younger brother. They said you were running logistics in Singapore. I didn't expect you to greet us personally."
"I’m hospitable like that," Eric grinned, though his finger rested lightly on the trigger, ready to unleash hell at a microsecond's notice. "Though I have to say, your infiltration technique is a bit dated. Bypassing our biometric scanners with military override codes? That’s so 2010. My engineers traced your IP signature the second you stepped onto the freight elevator."
Chen’s smile didn't reach his eyes. "You think freezing our assets and locking down Vale Urban gives you total control, boy? The syndicate has roots deeper than the foundations of this miserable city. You took two billion dollars. We are here to take it back—or take your heads."
"Try it," Eric replied softly.
In a fraction of a second, the negotiation ended.
Chen dropped to the concrete as his four enforcers raised their suppressed automatic weapons and opened fire. A volley of bullets chewed into the concrete pillars, sending dangerous shards of stone flying through the air.
Eric dove behind a reinforced armored SUV, returning fire with pinpoint accuracy. The sharp *crack-crack-crack* of the tactical submachine gun echoed deafeningly off the concrete walls.
"Flank them!" Eric shouted into his comms to his security team. "Don't let them reach the private elevator shaft!"
From the shadows, two Blackstone operatives moved with terrifying military precision. They laid down a suppressive crossfire, pinning two of the syndicate enforcers against a concrete pillar. One enforcer dropped instantly, clutching a bleeding shoulder; the other scrambled backward behind a parked Mercedes.
Master Chen, moving with lethal, snake-like agility, sprinted across the open lane toward the private elevator doors, ignoring his dying men. He pulled a heavy electronic decryption device from his coat, slamming it against the elevator’s override panel to force his way up to the forty-ninth floor.
"Oh no you don't," Eric muttered from behind his cover.
Eric stood up, ignoring the bullets pinging off the car door, and raised his weapon. But before he could pull the trigger, a loud, heavy *CLANG* echoed through the garage.
The elevator override panel sparked violently, emitting a shower of blue electrical fire.
Inside the private office on the forty-ninth floor, Naomi Carter Park stood calmly in front of the master security console. Her finger rested firmly on the physical kill-switch button she had just slammed down.
Through the internal security monitor, Naomi watched Chen stagger backward from the smoking elevator panel. She leaned into the desk mic, her voice echoing coldly through the garage speakers.
*"Master Chen,"* Naomi’s amplified voice rang out, clear and merciless. *"You bypassed the wrong building. The only way you're going up to the forty-ninth floor is in handcuffs."*
Chen stared up at the security camera, a look of pure fury twisting his scarred face. "Bitch!"
"That's *Mrs. Park* to you," Eric shouted, stepping out from behind the SUV with his gun locked directly onto Chen's forehead.
Before Chen could raise his weapon, the heavy steel security grates dropped from the ceiling with a deafening crash, sealing off the entire parking garage and trapping the syndicate enforcers in an inescapable cage.
From the shadows of the ramp, a squad of heavily armed tactical officers—private security backed by local municipal authorities loyal to Daniel’s network—swarmed the garage, zip-tying the surviving enforcers in seconds.
Master Chen was forced to his knees, his face pressed against the cold concrete.
Eric walked over, kicking Chen’s dropped weapon away across the floor. He tapped his earpiece.
"Big brother," Eric said smoothly. "Trash is taken out. Send the federal marshals down to collect our guests."
Upstairs, Daniel listened to the report. He exhaled slowly, looking over at Naomi, who was calmly walking back from the security console, adjusting the cuffs of her blouse.
"You really enjoy playing tactical commander, don't you?" Daniel asked, a faint, proud smile touching his lips.
May you like
"I told you, Daniel," Naomi replied, sitting back down at her desk and picking up her legal briefs. "We don't just own the boardroom. We own the ground they walk on."
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