Chapter 9 - The Final StandClaire froze, the weight of both children anchoring her to the floorboards. She looked down at little Emma hiding behind her skirt, then at baby Caleb sleeping soundly against her shoulder, completely unaware of the barrel aimed at them.
"You're a coward, Ben," Claire said, her voice shaking with adrenaline but completely devoid of fear. "You sold out the man who saved your life for a paycheck from a monster."
Ben’s expression hardened, his eyes narrowing. "Dominic built an empire on blood and fear. Empires fall, Claire. And I intend to be standing when this one hits the ground."
He slowly squeezed the trigger.
Click.
Ben blinked, staring down at his sidearm in sudden, utter disbelief. The slide was locked back. Empty.
In the heat of the firefight, he had burned through every single round in his magazine.
Before Ben could reach for his backup holster, a massive, shadowy figure slammed into him from behind with the force of a freight train.
Dominic Mercer drove Ben through the wooden drywall of the hallway, sending both men crashing into the pine panels with a sickening crunch.
Ben scrambled frantically for his secondary weapon, but Dominic was faster. He brought the heavy butt of his empty shotgun down hard across Ben’s wrist with a sharp crack, sending the pistol clattering across the floorboards.
Dominic pinned the traitor to the floor with his knee, his hands wrapping around Ben’s throat in a death grip.
"Ten years, Ben," Dominic whispered, his voice shaking with a rage so profound it felt volcanic. "I trusted you with my life. And you helped them kill my wife."
Ben clawed desperately at Dominic’s wrists, his face turning purple, gasping for air. "D-Dominic... please..."
"Boss!"
Dominic paused, his fingers tightening further before he slowly turned his head.
Richard Vance stood at the far end of the hallway, holding little Emma by the arm, with a razor-sharp tactical knife pressed directly against the terrified little girl’s throat.
"Drop him, Dominic," Richard snarled, sweat beading on his forehead, his corporate suit ruined by mud and blood. "Drop the weapon or the kid dies right here, right now."
Claire screamed, lunging forward, but Dominic raised his hand, signaling her to stop.
Dominic slowly stood up from the floor, releasing Ben, who collapsed coughing and gasping for air. Dominic turned to face Richard Vance, his gray eyes burning with cold, absolute fury.
"Let her go, Richard," Dominic said softly, taking a slow step forward. "This is between you and me."
"It was always between us, Dominic," Richard laughed hysterically, pressing the blade slightly closer to Emma’s neck, drawing a tiny bead of crimson blood. "You thought you owned Baltimore. You thought you were untouchable. But you were blind. Just like Elena."
"Elena wasn't blind," Dominic said, a grim, deadly smile touching his lips. "She knew everything. That’s why she left the flash drive. That’s why the federal authorities already have your entire offshore portfolio."
Richard’s face went dead white. "You're lying."
"Am I?" Dominic nodded toward the front courtyard.
From the darkness beyond the guest lodge windows, the sweeping, brilliant white beams of half a dozen Federal Bureau of Investigation tactical cruisers suddenly illuminated the entire estate, accompanied by the deafening roar of a police chopper descending overhead.
Megaphone crackled through the night:
"FBI! Richard Vance, drop your weapon and surrender immediately! The compound is completely surrounded!"
Richard’s grip on the knife faltered for a fraction of a second.
That microsecond was all Dominic Mercer needed.
With blinding speed, Dominic unholstered his Glock and fired a single, perfect shot through the heavy iron chandelier hanging above Richard’s head.
The massive glass fixture shattered, crashing down directly onto Richard and pinning his arms to his sides.
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Emma screamed and ducked away, running straight into Claire’s open arms. Claire scooped her up, burying her face in her daughter’s hair as federal agents swarmed through the doors, subduing Ben Carver and placing handcuffs on Richard Vance.
The nightmare was over.
