Chapter 20

The Message from the Ghost Tiger

In the dead of night, a collective shiver ran through the cabal members as their phones buzzed simultaneously. Each one, powerful and untouchable in their own circles, felt an unfamiliar pang of dread as they looked down to see a message from an unknown number. But the sender was clear: Ghost Tiger.

The message read:

**"Yes, I have your evidence, and it will remain in my hands because you are all snakes who can never be trusted. Ask the good doctor how he, Moira Queen, and Malcolm sank the Queen's Gambit. But rest assured, the evidence will not be used as long as you don't interfere with the battle between a son seeking revenge and Mr. Merlyn getting his karmic justice.

You animals want to bring death to anyone who lives in the Glades, whether they're guilty or innocent, simply because they live in a place they can only afford. You are worse monsters than the thugs you fear."**

The threat hung in the air like poison, the words cutting sharper than any blade. The cabal, long hidden in the shadows of Starling City's power structures, was now exposed to a force they had underestimated: Marcus Queen, the Ghost Tiger.

The Cabal's Reaction

The reaction among the cabal members was immediate and visceral. For the first time, they were on the back foot, their carefully maintained secrecy shattered by the emergence of Marcus and his control over the very evidence that could destroy them. In the world of the cabal, power was everything, and now they were at the mercy of someone they could not manipulate or control.

The Good Doctor

Dr. Brion Markov, a respected scientist by day and secret member of the cabal by night, was one of the first to feel the weight of the message. His heart raced as he reread the part about the Queen's Gambit. How could Marcus know? His role in that disaster had been buried so deeply, hidden behind layers of misdirection. The sinking of the ship, orchestrated by Malcolm and Moira, had always been his safety net—his way of staying in the cabal's good graces by providing the expertise needed to make the Undertaking a reality.

But now, with Ghost Tiger holding the truth, Markov felt the walls closing in. His hands trembled as he dialed the number of one of his colleagues.

"What do we do?" Markov whispered into the phone, his voice filled with panic. "He knows everything!"

A cold voice on the other end responded, "We wait. There's nothing we can do now. He controls the evidence, and if we move against him, he'll destroy us all."

The Pragmatists

Several cabal members who had always seen their involvement in the Undertaking as a necessary evil for the "greater good" felt a mix of outrage and fear. They had been playing a game of power and control for years, justifying their actions as a way to "save" Starling City from itself, believing that wiping out the Glades would rid the city of crime. But now, they were exposed as monsters—called out by someone they couldn't touch.

"Snakes? Monsters?" One of the members muttered, their voice filled with frustration as they sat in their dimly lit penthouse. "He doesn't understand what we were trying to do. It was for the city's future."

But deep down, even the pragmatists knew there was no justification for their actions. Marcus's words stung because they rang true. They had planned to massacre an entire district, all while hiding behind the veil of righteousness.

The pragmatic members, however, understood one thing: Marcus had no intention of exposing them as long as they stayed out of his way. This was their opportunity to survive. They would quietly observe the coming battle between Malcolm and Marcus, hoping that Merlyn's downfall would allow them to slip back into the shadows, unseen.

The Panickers

Then there were those who panicked. Members of the cabal who had lived in the comfortable delusion that their crimes would never come to light. They feared exposure more than anything—public humiliation, arrest, the destruction of their wealth and status. For these men and women, the message from Ghost Tiger was a death sentence.

"What do we do now?!" One of them shouted in their panic-filled boardroom, pacing back and forth as the others sat in stunned silence.

"Shut up!" another member hissed, trying to regain control of the situation. "Panicking will only make things worse. He said he won't use the evidence if we stay out of this. That's our play—we wait and watch. Malcolm is the target, not us."

But the fear was palpable. Ghost Tiger had sent a message to each of them, and there was no telling how far Marcus would go if they made a single misstep.

Moira Queen's Reaction

Moira Queen, sitting in her opulent study, stared at the message on her phone for a long time. Her heart pounded in her chest, her mind swirling with emotions. The revelation that Marcus had taken the evidence related to the Queen's Gambit—the very evidence that could reveal her role in its sinking—was staggering. Marcus now held all the cards, and while he had promised not to use the evidence, Moira knew her position was perilous.

She stood and walked to the window, her hands shaking slightly as she considered the implications. Marcus had protected her, but at what cost? Did he know about her full involvement? Did he understand why she had done what she did? Moira had made her choices to protect her family, to ensure the survival of Queen Consolidated, but now her past was coming back to haunt her in ways she had never expected.

"Marcus," she whispered, shaking her head. "What have you done?"

Moira had always known that Marcus was different from Oliver—more calculating, more willing to walk the fine line between justice and ruthlessness. But now, he had become a force she couldn't control, and the cabal was likely in chaos because of it. She felt trapped, knowing that Malcolm would be out for blood, but also understanding that Marcus was just as dangerous.

Her fear for Oliver grew. She had always worried about Malcolm's influence on him, but now, with Marcus declaring war on Malcolm, she feared for both of her sons. This wasn't just a corporate power play or a political maneuver. This was a battle of survival, and the Queen family was at the center of it.

Moira closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she tried to steady her nerves. "I need to talk to Marcus."

She knew the cabal would be terrified, that they might try to turn against Marcus or each other. But Moira's thoughts were focused solely on her children now. She had to find a way to protect her family—before the inevitable clash between Marcus and Malcolm destroyed everything.

The Cabal's Silence

As the members of the cabal sat in stunned silence, each of them knew one thing for certain: Marcus Queen had them in the palm of his hand. The evidence they had relied on to keep each other in check was now gone, and Marcus had left them with no option but to stay silent. If they interfered, they risked their entire world being exposed.

No one spoke. No one dared to make a move. They would sit back, watch, and hope that Marcus's war with Malcolm Merlyn would end without dragging them into the abyss.

For now, the Ghost Tiger had spoken—and the cabal had no choice but to obey.