Page 147 of Hate Me

Right now, it was hard enough to hide how stressed I was, how incredibly taxed with everything. And I knew they were concerned about me. I’d caught looks from all three of them and even Luke over the last few weeks.

There was nothing to be done about it right now, however.

They’d each come to me asking to be a part of the actual operations slated to take place tomorrow night, but I’d refused them. We had our people in place already. We’d had teams training for this specific situation for nearly two years. And, honestly, having them in the field would cause me undue worry and I’d be consumed with keeping track of the three of them at every turn to ensure their safety and wellbeing. It would split my focus in far too many directions.

No. I needed the three of them safe.

“Ten targets,” Caleb murmured to himself, as he studied the intel. “Two home residences, including that compound, three arms facilities, two labs where he cooks his fucking drugs, his two casinos, and the mansion where he puts his pet mercenaries up. Damn, you and Dante have two of your people in the highest ranks of those mercenaries? On your signal, one of your teams is gonna be in position as those two take down security, then they’ll move in and take them all out in one brutal wave.”

“That’s right,” Luke confirmed.

“What about the Bane Industries offices?”

“It’s full of civilians,” Luke told him. “Requiring a different approach.” He grinned at me, “Right, King?”

I nodded and explained to Caleb. “Those offices conduct legitimate business.”

“Investments and all that?”

“Basically.”

“So?”

“I’ve been carefully acquiring shares in the open market over the last two years.”

“A creeping tender offer?”

“Yes. As of the close of the business day tomorrow, I will own eighty-seven percent of the company.”

“Jesus. So once you take down the illegitimate operations, Elijah won’t even have that to fall back on.”

“Total annihilation was always the goal.”

“With all these targets, all being hit in unison tomorrow night with this multi-pronged approach, it’s gonna tax your resources here in Rossun. Even with the Mancini Syndicate taking part in this, you’ll need pretty much everything on your end as well to pull this off. Security here will be compromised severely.”

“For one night,” I told him.

“Bane will be bogged down with the attacks, severely distracted and focused on trying to save himself and his operations,” Luke said.

“Shit. All right, I’ll get back from my business as soon as I can. I wish I could wait another day, but if I do, those hostages are gonna be in the wind, and we likely won’t get another chance to pull them out.”

“I’ve already told you that I support you there.” I smiled and laid my hand on his shoulder. “As you can see, everything is on track, prepared and accounted for. All will be well here.”

God willing.

Of course it was actually still a risk.

But I had to take it.

This was my shot to finally take down Elijah Bane, to rid the world of him, to get justice long since denied me.

I’d waited long enough, this was it now.

Bane would fall.

“What about the casinos? How are you gonna take two? The security on those things is another level?”

“Our infiltrators have been gathering a shit-ton of evidence of a whole load of money-laundering activities filtering through both of them, along with proof that the dancers there are being coerced into doing a whole lot more than merely performing on stage,” Luke told him. “It’s in the hands of the feds. They’re gonna take both tomorrow night, raid the hellholes.”

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