Chapter Four Ledgers and Bullets

Miguel's grief almost broke the crew. Ethan locked everyone in the basement and placed eleven Moretti revenue points on the table: betting, scrap yards, dock tribute, clubs, parking lots, loans, construction unions, false invoices, cash transport, restaurant protection, and an insider at a small bank. "They killed a child," Miguel shouted, "and you're looking at numbers?" Ethan looked up. "Numbers tell us who to kill, when to kill him, and who will stay silent afterward." The first strike was money. Sophie bought the debt on two Moretti parking lots and demanded payment. Victor released tax records at the same time. Carlo had to pull cash to cover the hole. The second strike came from Marcus, who cut fuel access at the scrap yard.