Chapter 26: Return to the Concrete Jungle
Returning to the city felt like entering a past life. The smells of exhaust, wet asphalt, and distant bakeries washed over us as we drove across the suspension bridge. We didn't return to our old apartment; instead, the federal task force secured a safe house in a high-security building near the federal district, protected by armed guards and biometric access.
I met with Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas, the prosecutor who had handled the syndicate case. He looked exhausted, his desk piled high with new corporate filings and financial tracking reports.
"I thought you were done with this, Maya," Thomas said, offering me a seat. "The indictments were supposed to be the end of it."
"The indictments missed the money, Thomas," I said, leaning forward. "Someone is convinced that I have the missing assets from Evan's offshore accounts, and they sent two hitmen to my house to get it. I want to know who has access to those accounts now that Evan is gone."
Thomas sighed, pulling up a secure database on his terminal. "After Evan's death, his legal estate went into probate, but the offshore funds were managed by a shell company called Aegis Holdings. We’ve been trying to pierce the corporate veil for weeks, but the signatures are hidden behind an array of international trusts based in Panama and Switzerland."
"Give me the access to the local filings," I demanded. "The money might be international, but the people trying to kill me are local. Someone in this city is pulling the strings."
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While I worked with the task force, Mara stayed with Leo in the safe house. The space was sterile and devoid of personality, a stark contrast to the botanical conservatory she had grown to love, but she adapted. She spent her days teaching Leo how to draw, her patience infinite, though I noticed her eyes always lingered on the heavy steel door whenever someone passed in the hallway.
We were back in the war zone, but the dynamic had shifted. We were no longer victims trying to escape; we were the hunters now, using the full weight of the federal government to track down the final remnants of the organization that had haunted us for so long.
