Chapter 4 - THE TRAP IS SETI sat up in my VIP hospital suite, a heavy layer of medical burn ointment covering my legs. The physical pain was excruciating, but the cold clarity in my mind was absolute.

Listening to the recorded audio from Richard’s motel room through my earphones, Eleanor looked at me with deep concern. “Maya, this is an explicit threat against your life. We can take this tape straight to the District Attorney and have Richard put away for conspiracy to commit murder.”

“No,” I said, taking off the headphones. “A conspiracy charge with a smart lawyer will give him five years, maybe less with parole. He’ll come out broke, angry, and still breathing. I don't want Richard in prison for five years, Eleanor. I want him destroyed forever.”

“What are you planning?” Eleanor asked cautiously.

“He thinks he still has $20 million in the Cayman accounts,” I said, leaning back against the pillows. “He doesn't know that my father’s old business partner, Arthur Sterling, took over as the chief compliance officer of that private bank last year. That money hasn't belonged to Richard for forty-eight hours.”

Eleanor’s eyes widened. “You drained the offshore accounts?”

“Arthur froze them under international anti-money laundering protocols,” I smiled coldly. “Richard is completely broke. He just doesn't know it yet. He’s going to attempt something desperate tonight because he thinks he has a $20 million safety net.”

“And you’re going to let him step into the trap?”

“I’m going to lay out the red carpet for him,” I replied.

I looked at the clear plastic bassinets beside my bed. My two baby boys, Ethan and Leo, were sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the storm raging around them. I stroked their soft cheeks, my heart aching with a fierce, terrifying protectiveness.

“Call Dr. Harrison,” I instructed Eleanor. “Tell him we’re moving forward with Phase Two. Tonight, the hospital staff gets sent home early on a ‘system maintenance’ protocol. I want the halls empty.”

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“Maya, you’re risking your life!”

“No,” I looked Eleanor straight in the eye. “I’m taking it back.”