Chapter 36: Assembling the Team

The room was dark; the headlights outside passing through the shattered blinds hardly illuminated it. The faint hum of the city buzzed softly in the background, creating an awkward contrast to the room's great silence. Silence surrounded Aidan Pierce as his sharp eyes fixated on the empty space before him fists hammered against the old leather armrest of his chair. It was this. The instant he had been waiting for since the evening he had been forced to leave everything. Since his uncle Victor had driven him from his country after pilfering his legacy. The Empire of the Pierce family.

Tonight his buddies will get ready to put Victor to his knees together.

He tallied the minutes shown on his watch. One by one, each person standing for a different element of the complex plan he had constructed to oust his uncle from power, would arrive. Each had been chosen with considerable attention, harboring personal grudges and anger Aidan would deftly polish against Victor. Not simply assets, these were weapons he would use to piece-by-piece demolish Victor's empire.

Down the hall a gentle echo emerged. Rigid on his chair, he straightened to watch for the figure.

Marcus got there first among them. Rising into the room with the quiet conviction of someone who has spent years lurking in the shadows, the tall, thin man Former adviser to Aidan's father Marcus carried the weight of many secrets and the power of someone who had been there the beginning. His sharp eyes looked around then he motioned toward Aidan.

"Good to see you again, Aidan," Marcus said, his voice low and steady, a trace of relief hidden behind his austere face. He reached a hand and Aidan shook it firmly.

Aidan said, "Marcus," feeling the old links of loyalty and trust returning. "thank you for coming."

Marcus nodded, his expression devoid of any feeling at all. Aidan, on the other hand, knew him enough to feel the fire raging beneath his cool exterior. Marcus was working toward a personal objective here, not merely a mission. Originally committed to the Pierce name, the man had experienced Victor's treachery; today he was ready to rebuild that allegiance with blood.

Dominic came a few minutes later looking noticeably less composed than Marcus. Originally a wealthy banker, Dominic had lost everything to Victor's activities. He had broad shoulders and a stern look and clear eyesight. He now merely had a taste of revenge left. He vigorously shook Aidan's hand and twisted his mouth into a determined smile.

"I've been waiting for this moment," Dominic said, his voice hoarse with hardly regulated fury. Victor had to pay for what he done.

Aidan nodded just slightly in his direction. also would. Still, we will be nimble about it. Recovering what he took is more important than pursuing justice here. He created what on lies and treachery?

A quiet murmur of approval spread across the room as the other Aidan allies began to arrive. Every face revealed the marks of agony, every glance sharpened by the treachery Victor had inflicted upon them. While they had a goal, Aidan realized that unity was brittle. Should they be successful, they must be more than just a group of people seeking justice; they must be a force Victor could not withstand.

When everyone was seated, Aidan stood up staring each person in the eyes. "Thanks for all of you turning up. You are here because you understand the stakes and the motivation. From every one of us in one manner or another, Victor has taken everything. We have him scheduled for tonight downing. This is justice, not only payback.

Every face around the table revealed a whisper of agreement mingled with a trace of bitterness and considerable expectation.

Dominic tilted forward, his voice a low whisper. "What then, Aidan, is the plan? How can a man who believes he to be untouchable be taken out?

Aidan's mouth expanded to a faint smile. Victor is not unbeatable, even if he would feel he is. He left a path of dishonesty, betrayals, and crimes. We show those piece by little till he has nowhere to hide.

He turned his gaze to Marcus. Media is under your control. Victor sees his image as his defense. We intend to destroy it frontally. First we present the media just something to stimulate their interest but not sufficient to expose us. Unidentified leaks, small hints. We get them to start digging. They will start half the work on our behalf.

Marcus nodded with a gloomy glance. "I know some folks waiting for a story like this."

Aidan turned to look at Dominic. You have financial tracking to do. Victor keeps riches as his weapon. We will call attention to every secret account and every bogus purchase. As we collapse his financial dominion, the rest will follow.

Dominic turned to flash a brilliant smile. " Consider it done. I have yearned to see those books burned for years.

While each assigned specific tasks and divided their responsibilities, the rest of his staff listened very attentively. They were not just working together; they were becoming the cogs in Aidan's machine designed to dismantle Victor's empire from the inside out.

They gathered for hours, prepared backup plans, and looked at every possible result. Each person offered their tools, contacts, and personal data. The room buzzed with steady purposeful effort as the evening drew on, the air thick with expectation.

At the end of the conference, Dawn was starting to break above the horizon and offer a faint glimmer across the blinds. Weary but resolute, Aidan's team poised to go.

Marcus leaned down, his voice almost audible, just as they were preparing to split. Victor is going to be doubtful. He will start to smell for the moles. We still have to keep ahead.

Aidan nodded with a sharp glance. Let him smell. We will give him just enough bait to make him spin around. Every deed he does, every effort at cover-up for his misdeeds, will just supply more resources for us to handle.

Every team member felt primed with expectation, ready for what lay ahead.

Dominic, on the other hand, tracked Victor's hidden accounts, working 24/7 and observing money flow in and out of little companies. Dirt they discovered got more plentiful as they dropped down. They found everything—bribes, illicit business dealings, laundering tracks. Every fresh discovery sharpened their will.

Aidan, though, did not lack questions. As the evening wore on, his ambition appeared to weigh heavier. Reclaiming his birthright was simply one component of this; another was justice for everyone Victor had violated. She was conscious of the risks. Should Victor find his scheme, he knew he would show no sympathy.

As he looked about the room, though, he saw the same will in the eyes of his friends. Their shared objective anchored them all in this together.

Dominic questioned Aidan, "So what's next,?" as they got ready to go.

Aidan sported a calculated, chilly smile. "Next, we give Victor confidence he still has control."