RISE OF THE MORTE CONGLOMERATE HEIR

Chapter 7

Sable let out a rich yet barking laugh. Dimé chuckled along, his tone calculated.

Dimé: "Oh wow. Stop it, Sable. If the Morte knows it, are you sure you're not in trouble?"

They all laughed, the sound echoing in the lobby. Inside Teggo's mind, a fresh thread of suspicion twisted tight. Is Dimé a true best friend of Sable?  Teggo forced a laugh, a dry, internal joke about the depths of Morte treachery.

Sable, Teggo, and Dimé arrived at the Morte’s New York office at 10 AM. As soon as the three men separated; Sable heading for his meeting, Teggo for a fake negotiation & planning to go out in Morte's office, and Dimé in Sable's office waiting for his driver, Merk Keen found his opportunity.

Merk, still playing the role of Sable's indispensable, efficient assistant, cornered Ellvys. In the underground garage, near the executive parking section. Merk leaned against a pillar, his posture casual, his voice strained. "Ellvys, what's your take on Ice with the Morte Firewall moment? Did he remember the code, or was it a reflex?"

Ellvys answered, "It was... a ghost event. Not memory, not conscious thought. The trauma erased his conscious access, but the muscle memory, the programming intuition is still in his somatic pathways. He executed the Morte Firewall bypass code flawlessly, but he didn't know he was doing it. He's a machine running on two different OS systems."

Merk ran a hand over his face. "This is killing me, man. He almost got Teggo caught this morning. He shifts personas without warning."

"That's the risk," Ellvys replied, his voice clinical. "He's unpredictable. He's immune to our codes when he's 'Ice,' but unstoppable when he's Zander. We have two weeks until Sable sells the Tower. We have to push him to Zander, but if we push too hard, we risk a catastrophic mental break."

Merk shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He thought about the endless vigilance, the constant risk of execution, and the emotional toll of watching his friend suffer daily humiliation. I really don't know how to help Zander, man. he thought, the exhaustion of the double life setting in.

Merk knew he had to keep moving. He pushed off the pillar and began walking toward the elevator lobby, heading back to the seller's lounge for a weekly report of Property Specialist to Sable. Ellvys watched him go, then turned his attention to a distant security camera. He knew the risk was too high for a physical conversation. He quickly pulled up his concealed eMessaging app and sent a coded status update to the other allies, relaying the precarious state of Zander's mind.

Merk walked through the sterile, marble lobby, the contrast between his expensive suit and his profound inner turmoil striking. He looked like the picture of corporate success, but inside, he was a tired spy operating on fumes. He found himself checking the mirrors instinctively, ensuring no one, especially Sable, had witnessed his hushed exchange with the Ellvys. The paranoia of Sable Side is becoming their reality, too.

That night, 7 PM, Teggo had arranged a clandestine meeting for the "Five Fingers Of Death" in a vintage, dimly lit restaurant in Jack County, USA. A location far enough from the city to feel safe. The scent of old leather and strong coffee filled the air.

Merk, Onyx, Ellvys, and River are seated at a back booth. Teggo, towering over them, stood at the head of the table. His massive hands gripped the edge of the booth, his frustration a visible, aggressive energy.

Merk looked pale. He wanted to lay low, clarifying that he still wanted to help but "not in a stressful way".

River’s voice was strained, his eyes darting toward the restaurant entrance. He wanted to give up too, but his reason was brutally practical. He explained that if he got caught, and Zander/Ice couldn't protect him amnesiacally, Sable might compromise all of his commissions in condo properties he had sold for four years for Morte Development Corp.

Teggo, whose loyalty was built on pure admiration, exploded. He grabbed the collar and tie of River's suit, his face contorted in rage.

"We are not talking about money, River! We are talking about Zander Morte! The man who would end Sable with a single sentence! The man who is sleeping in that driver's seat!" Teggo’s voice was a low growl of fury.

River, though physically overpowered, clapped back, his own rage fueled by fear and exhaustion.

River: "How would you know that the circumstances earlier won't repeat? Huh? What if... what if Ice accidentally... accidentally mention it to Sable that you were in his home office in that stupid penthouse? Huh??"

River violently removed Teggo's gripping hand from his collar and tie. He stood up, knocking his chair slightly. He looked at the faces of his friends; Onyx, the unflappable security expert; Ellvys, the silent strategist; Merk, the tired assistant. And saw only the risk. River turned and left the restaurant, marching out into the cold night without another word.

Teggo slammed his fist on the table. The sudden noise made the cutlery jump. Ellvys and Onyx remained perfectly still.

Ellvys spoke, his voice measured. "River is compromised by his own success. His fear is rational. We need a strategy that removes the risk from him."

Onyx: "I can't push him physically anymore. He’s adapting. I need a clean command. We need the original Zander, not the glitching Zander."

Teggo, defeated, sank onto the bench. He looked at the three men remaining.

Teggo: "No way, men. This is Zander's birthright. Our friend's birthright. River is so diabolical tonight, man." Teggo covered his face with his hands, the weight of the conspiracy crushing him.

Merk sighed, facing the fact, "Hold on, guys. Zander needs our help every single day."

Ellvys: "We must assume the team is down to four for high-risk operations. I'll continue to check every day if Sable is winning. Teggo, you focus on the demolition. Onyx, you handle security. Merk, keep the documents flowing. Onyx & Merk, check Sable and Zander too. We wait for Zander to find the last move himself."

They broke up the meeting, the alliance shaken but not destroyed. THE FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH is working, the constant pressure was fracturing Zander’s most loyal allies.