Chapter 7 - The Final Confrontation
“You forgot one small detail, Victoria.”Before Victoria could pull the trigger, the dark corners of the parking garage exploded with blinding blue and red lights. Sirens shrieked, echoing off the concrete walls like thunder.
"COLUMBUS POLICE! DROP YOUR WEAPONS! DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW!"
A dozen SWAT officers swarmed out from behind the support pillars, assault rifles trained directly on Victoria and her bodyguards. The two guards immediately threw their hands in the air and dropped to their knees.
Victoria, consumed by panic and rage, swung her weapon toward me. "If I'm going down, you're coming with me, Miller!"
BANG!
A gunshot echoed through the garage.
I didn't feel pain. I looked down—I wasn't hit.
Instead, my mother had thrown herself in front of me. She collapsed onto the oil-stained concrete, clutching her shoulder, blood seeping through her coat.
"MOM!" I shouted instinctively, dropping to my knees beside her.
The SWAT team tackled Victoria to the ground, slamming her face onto the hood of the Escalade, wrenching the gun from her hands as she screamed curses that echoed into the night.
"Ethan..." my mother gasped, coughing violently as blood pool around her. She reached up with a bloodied hand, feebly grabbing my lapel. "Ethan... I'm sorry... I was so stupid... I was so greedy..."
"Why, Mom?" I sobbed, the anger melting into a bitter, crushing grief. "Why did you do it? How could you do that to Noah?"
"I was drowning, Ethan..." she whimpered, her eyes fading as shock set in. "The men... the loan sharks... they said they were going to kill you if I didn't pay... I thought... I thought if Emily was gone... you'd move back home... and we'd be a family again..."
"You almost killed my son, Mom," I whispered, tears dripping onto her face. "You almost killed Noah."
"I know..." she choked out. "Forgive me... please... save Ashley..."
Paramedics swarmed the area, shoving me back as they began emergency CPR on my mother. I stood up slowly, watching as they lifted her onto a gurney and wheeled her away, followed closely by Victoria Vance, who was being dragged away in heavy wrist and leg restraints, her icy composure completely shattered.
I stood alone in the quiet garage, covered in dust and my mother's blood.
My phone buzzed. It was a call from the NICU.
May you like
I answered with trembling fingers. "Hello?"
"Mr. Miller?" Dr. Vance’s voice came through the receiver, but this time, it was filled with warmth. "You need to come up to Room 204. Your wife is fully conscious... and Noah’s fever just broke."
