Ron Donaldo: Rise Of The Apex Don

Chapter 24

Ron stood at the edge of the window. The strong wind blew his hair wildly. He stared at the helicopter. He could have ordered General Vance to shoot it down with a sniper rifle. He could have ended Theresa’s life right there. 

But Ron’s core struggle held him back. If he shot down a helicopter over the middle of a crowded city, innocent people on the street below would die from the falling metal. He was a Warlord, but he was not a monster. He would not kill innocent people just to get revenge on a guilty woman. 

He watched in silence as the black helicopter pulled away and flew quickly into the bright blue morning sky, disappearing over the tall buildings. 

"She escaped, Sir," General Vance said, standing next to Ron. The General sounded very angry. "Give me the order, and I will track that bird down."

"Let her go, General," Ron said softly. He did not look angry. He looked completely focused. "She is no longer the Queen of this city. She is just a prisoner on a different chessboard now. She belongs to The Director. And that means she is his problem."

Ron turned around to walk back into the building. 

Before he took three steps, his phone vibrated in his pocket. 

It was the heavy, waterproof black phone. The phone he had used to call the General. But this time, it was an Unknown Number calling him. 

Ron stopped walking. He pulled the phone from his pocket. He stared at the screen. He knew exactly who it was. 

He pressed the green button and held it to his ear. 

"Hello, Ronald," the smooth, cold voice of The Director echoed in his ear. 

"You missed, Director," Ron said firmly. "I have Marcus. I have the lithium. Your clean-up crew is tied up on the floor. You lost."

The Director let out a soft, polite laugh. It was a terrifying sound. 

"You are a very impressive man, Ronald," The Director said calmly. "You saved your pawn. You took my tower. You think you have won the game."

"The game is over," Ron replied. "In one hour, Marcus will confess on live television. The FBI will freeze your accounts. They will hunt you down."

"Oh, Ronald. You still think so small," The Director sighed. "You think this is a game about a single company? You think I care about Marcus Thorne?"

Ron narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to see what you were capable of," The Director whispered. "I wanted to see if the rumors of the Warlord from The Pit were true. And you have proven that you are a very dangerous man. But you have forgotten one very important rule of war."

"What rule is that?" Ron asked. 

"Never look at the pawn when the king is moving," The Director said. "You won the battle for the building, Ronald. But I control the grid. Welcome to the dark."

Click. 

The phone call ended. 

Ron frowned. He looked at the phone. Welcome to the dark. 

Suddenly, the bright lights in the ruined boardroom flickered. 

Bzzzt. 

The lights went completely out. 

The humming sound of the air conditioning stopped. The computer screens on the desks went black. 

Ron turned back toward the broken window. He looked out over the massive city of Oakhaven. It was a city of three million people. 

Before his very eyes, the tall skyscrapers across the street went totally dark. 

The traffic lights on the streets below turned off. The digital billboards stopped glowing. The entire city skyline went black in a massive, rolling wave. 

The Director had not just attacked the Sterling Tech building. He had hacked the city’s main power grid. He had completely shut down the electricity for the entire city of Oakhaven. 

Sirens immediately began to scream in the distance. Without power, cars were crashing in the streets. Elevators were trapped. Hospitals were switching to emergency generators. Pure chaos was starting to spread like wildfire. 

General Vance stepped up to the window. His single eye was wide with shock. 

"My King," the General whispered, looking at the dead city. "What is happening?"

Ron put his phone back in his pocket. He looked out at the dark, chaotic city. His core struggle was no longer about his past. It was about the future. He had wanted to save his own name, but now the whole city was burning. 

"The Director did not want a war in a boardroom," Ron said. His voice was deep, powerful, and ready for violence. "He wants a war in the streets. And now, the real monsters are going to come out to play."

Ron turned away from the window. 

"Load the weapons, General," Ron ordered.