46. Try to escape war

Alexander Hamilton sat in his office, the soft glow of the city lights casting long shadows across the room. His head throbbed, the tension building as he grappled with the weight of his family's brewing civil war. As a high-ranking military officer, he was accustomed to dealing with complex, high-stakes situations, but this was different—this was personal. The looming threat of a violent clash between his grandfather, father, and brothers was not something he could solve with commands or strategic maneuvers. It was a powder keg waiting to explode.

Marshall Everett Hamilton, his grandfather, was a legendary military leader with an iron grip on power and the loyalty of thousands of soldiers. Victor Hamilton, Alexander's father, was an industrial magnate whose business empire spanned the globe, commanding vast resources and connections that could turn the tide of any conflict. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with—unmatched in influence and ruthlessness. On the surface, Logan and Ethan's defiance seemed futile, like trying to take down a mountain with a pickaxe.

But Alexander knew better than to dismiss his younger brothers. Logan's ties to the criminal underworld were vast and deep. His network included kingpins, smugglers, and enforcers who owed him favors—people who could disrupt entire cities at a moment's notice. If Logan decided to call in those debts, it wouldn't just be a personal battle; it would be a global crisis. Governments would be forced to respond, and the balance of power would shift unpredictably.

Ethan, on the other hand, was a mastermind with an elite network of mercenaries, assassins, and spies. His operations were a shadowy maze that even seasoned intelligence agencies found difficult to navigate. Ethan's reach was invisible but deadly, capable of making the most secure individuals in the world vulnerable. A coordinated strike from him could upend the lives of powerful figures overnight, and no amount of wealth or influence could guarantee safety.

Alexander leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as he weighed the catastrophic implications. "If this turns into an all-out war," he whispered to himself, "no one will be left unscathed."

Picking up his phone, Alexander dialed his most trusted lieutenant, Carson, a seasoned operative who had seen more of the world's dark side than most would dare to imagine. The line rang twice before Carson answered, his voice sharp and ready.

"Sir, what's the situation?"

Alexander rubbed his eyes, feeling the exhaustion seep into his bones. "We've got a family crisis, Carson. Logan and Ethan are on the warpath. And if Grandpa Marshall or my father catch wind of this, they'll treat it as an outright rebellion. We're looking at a potential family bloodbath. I need you to conduct a discreet investigation—every detail about my sister's situation, why she was kicked out, and the assassination attempt. We're flying blind right now, and I can't afford any more surprises."

Carson hesitated for a moment. "Understood, sir. But if I may, what's our play here? What's the endgame?"

Alexander sighed, gazing out the window at the city skyline glittering below. "The endgame is to prevent a war, Carson. I need to find out what's driving Logan and Ethan before this goes too far. If I can piece together what's really happening, I might be able to broker some sort of peace. But without information, we're just shooting in the dark. And if things keep escalating, we'll all end up fighting each other."

There was a brief pause on the line as Carson processed the gravity of the situation. "I'll get on it right away, sir. But with Logan and Ethan moving aggressively, it's going to be hard to keep this under wraps. If they make a public move, it's only a matter of time before Marshall and Victor respond."

"I know," Alexander said, his voice strained. "That's why I need answers yesterday. We're running out of time."

After ending the call, Alexander stood up and paced his office, trying to strategize a path forward. He glanced at the family photo on his desk—one taken years ago, back when things were simpler. They were all smiling, back when the Hamilton name was synonymous with unity and power. Now, that legacy was fracturing, and the cracks were widening by the day.

He picked up his phone again, dialing Logan, hoping he could reach him before things spiraled further. The phone rang, and Logan answered, his voice tense and guarded.

"What do you want, Alex?" Logan's voice was cold, his anger still simmering from the recent revelations.

Alexander tried to keep his tone calm and measured. "Logan, I need to talk to you. Not as an officer, not as the older brother, but just as family. This thing between you and Ethan—it's going to destroy us all if we're not careful."

Logan's laugh was bitter. "Destroy us? You think I give a damn about what Dad or Grandpa will do? They've been running this family like a dictatorship for years. And now that Ethan and I are pushing back, suddenly it's our fault? You don't know what it's like being on this side of their damn empire."

"I'm not saying you're wrong to be angry," Alexander said, trying to keep the conversation from devolving into another shouting match. "But if you escalate this, there's no going back. You're going up against men who have spent their lives building this legacy. If they feel threatened, they won't hesitate to crush you. And Ethan's network won't be enough to keep you safe."

Logan's voice dropped, his anger morphing into something colder and more dangerous. "I'm not asking for protection, Alex. I'm asking for accountability. They've crossed the line, and they think they're untouchable. But I'm not going to sit by and watch our sister get treated like a pawn. If that means going to war, then so be it."

Alexander closed his eyes, feeling the enormity of the situation settle on his shoulders. "Logan, I'm trying to protect all of us. You're angry, and you have every right to be, but there's more at play here. There's more you don't know."

Logan cut him off, his tone icy. "Don't patronize me, Alex. I know exactly what's at stake. You're the one who needs to decide where you stand—because when the lines are drawn, there won't be any neutral ground."

The call ended abruptly, leaving Alexander holding the phone in silence. He could feel the sands of time slipping through his fingers, the fragile peace he was trying to maintain slipping away with each passing second.

Determined not to let his family disintegrate, Alexander made another call, this time to Ethan. The conversation was equally fraught, with Ethan defensive and evasive, his own plans in motion. Each brother was a ticking time bomb, and Alexander was running out of ways to defuse the situation.

He stared out at the city, the weight of the Hamilton legacy pressing down on him. Alexander knew he had to act quickly, or risk watching his family burn from the inside out. There was still hope for a resolution, but only if he could find the truth before it was too late.

"God help us all," he muttered, the unspoken fear of an inevitable showdown between the Hamiltons hanging heavily in the air.