Damien and the President addressed the nation.
Not from the White House.
From the task force headquarters.
With the recovered files.
With the evidence.
With the truth.
And the cartels knew their time was up.
---
The press conference was scheduled for noon.
Not a small room. A large hall.
Cameras from every network. Journalists from every country.
The world was watching.
Damien stood backstage.
Christabel was beside him.
"You're nervous."
"I'm not nervous."
"You're pacing."
"I'm thinking, and planning everything forward,we have to consider every possible outcome"
The President walked in.
"Mr. Moreau. Are you ready?"
"I'm ready."
"The world is going to change after today."
"I know."
"Are you prepared for that?"
Damien looked at him.
"I've been preparing my whole life."
They walked to the podium together.
Not separately. Together.
The cameras flashed.
The reporters shouted.
The President raised his hand.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming."
The room went silent.
"Today, we are going to show you something. Something that has never been seen before. Something that will change the way you think about the cartels."
He stepped back.
Damien stepped forward.
"My name is Damien Moreau."
The room was silent.
"Some of you know me as a billionaire. Some of you know me as a criminal. Some of you know me as a savior,some a trillionaire how ever you see it i dont give a fuck, focus on your life ok.
He paused.
"Today, I want you to know me as a witness."
He held up a file.
"This file contains evidence of cartel operations. Money laundering. Drug trafficking. Murder. Extortion."
He set it down.
Picked up another.
"This file contains evidence of government corruption. Bribes. Threats. Assassinations."
He set it down.
Picked up another.
"This file contains evidence of infiltration. The cartels have people inside our government. Inside our military. Inside our intelligence agencies."
The room buzzed.
The President raised his hand.
"Order! Order in the room!"
The room went silent.
Damien continued.
"These files were recovered by my team. With the help of Agent Reeves, who was forced to work for the cartels because they had her sister."
He paused.
"Her sister has been recovered. She is safe. She is here."
A woman walked onto the stage.
Young. Scared. Brave.
Reeves's sister.
"My name is Maria," she said. "The cartels took me because of my sister. They wanted her to spy on the task force. They wanted her to betray her country."
She paused.
"She didn't want to. But she did. Because they said they would kill me."
She looked at the cameras.
"She's not a traitor. She's a victim. And so am I."
---
The room was silent.
The cameras kept rolling.
The world was watching.
Maria stepped back.
Damien stepped forward.
"The cartels want you to be afraid. They want you to think that no one can stop them. They want you to think that they are invincible."
He paused.
"They are not."
He looked at the cameras.
"Today, we are going to prove it."
---
The President stepped forward.
"Effective immediately, the task force will begin a coordinated offensive against the cartels. Every asset. Every resource. Every soldier."
He paused.
"The cartels have had free reign for too long. That ends today, you all see and heared just how much they get away with it thanks to money and friends in high places they are all a big disease to be society and i will do general cleanup.
The press conference ended.
The reporters filed out.
The cameras stopped rolling.
Damien stood alone at the podium.
Christabel walked to him.
Took his hand.
"You did it,you gone ahead with ur crazy plan and you threatened the cartel that could bounce back in ugly ways husby"
That night, Christabel put Lena to bed.
Not Damien. Her.
Lena was full of questions.
"Mama, why was Papa on TV?"
"Because he helped people."
"What people?"
"People who needed help."
"Like the baby?"
Christabel laughed.
"Like the baby."
Damien appeared in the doorway.
"She's asleep?"
"She's dreaming."
"Of what?"
"Of you."
He walked to her.
Took her hand.
"The world is going to change after today."
"I know."
"The cartels are going to fight back."
"I know."
"We're going to be ready."
She looked at him.
"I know."
First Line of Chapter 181 (Teaser):
"The one hundred thirty-sixth week, the cartels responded. Not with a press conference. With a bomb. At the task force headquarters. And Damien learned that victory comes with a price."