Chapter 13 - The Organization Without Its King
The unconscious man survived.
His name was Petar Dervishi.
He worked for Kodra’s remaining organization.
He had been beaten for trying to contact federal agents.
Petar warned that a new leader named Viktor Sava planned to seize the unregulated port routes left after Salvatore’s conviction.
Sava believed Lucas still controlled the employee-owned businesses through secret orders.
He planned to attack them until Lucas publicly surrendered every claim.
Lucas had no secret control.
But organized crime survived on perception as much as fact.
Rosewood received threats.
Transport workers found burned vehicles.
A warehouse cooperative manager disappeared.
Agent Ruiz reopened protection measures.
Hannah wanted the diner closed temporarily.
Kayla refused.
“People work here.”
“So do bullets.”
“We can close at night.”
“That is still closing.”
Kayla’s anger was fear wearing work clothes.
Hannah recognized it.
They reduced hours and hired independent security approved by the employees.
Lucas learned about the attacks in prison.
He offered to issue a statement.
Ruiz worried any public message would reinforce the idea that he remained leader.
Michael proposed a different approach.
The employee cooperatives would speak together.
Not one man.
Not one family name.
Workers held a press conference at the port.
They announced that no criminal organization controlled their businesses.
They released transparent ownership records.
They invited federal monitoring.
Sava responded with violence.
A truck exploded near an empty warehouse.
No one died.
The message was clear.
Transparency had not removed danger.
It had removed Sava’s preferred leverage.
He could no longer threaten hidden crimes.
He could only attack openly.
That made him easier to prosecute.
Petar agreed to cooperate.
He identified Sava’s weapons storage site.
Federal agents raided it.
Sava escaped.
Then Hannah received a photograph.
Michael stood inside the prison visitation yard.
A red circle had been drawn around him.
May you like
Sava had contacts inside the prison.
The war had reached both brothers.
