Chapter 7 - THE RECKONINGSuddenly, the lights in the underground bunker flashed blindingly bright white.
A deafening alarm shrieked through the small room—the high-decibel intrusion deterrence system I had personally programmed into the home’s defense matrix.
“ALERT. UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY IN SECURE ZONE B. INITIATING LOCKDOWN.”
Finch winced, reflexively dropping his hands to cover his ears against the 120-decibel pulse screeching from the wall speakers.
That microsecond was all I needed.
I lunged forward, swinging the heavy steel wrench with all my weight. The metal caught Finch across his wrist, sending the gun flying across the room and shattering against the concrete wall.
He screamed, clutching his broken arm, but I didn't stop. I tackled him to the floor, pinning him down and securing his hands behind his back with the heavy plastic zip-ties I carried in my work belt.
"Where is she?!" I yelled over the siren, grabbing him by the collar. "Where is Margaret right now?!"
"She’s... she’s at the hospital!" Finch gasped through the pain. "She went back to finish the job with Sarah! If Sarah dies... you become the sole legal heir, and Margaret gets power of attorney over you through your father’s old trust!"
"You sick bastards," I growled.
I pulled the black external hard drive off the desk, shoved it into my jacket, and ran up the stairs, leaving Finch trapped in the sound-proofed underground vault.
I sprinted to my truck, tearing out of the driveway into the pouring rain.
I dialed the hospital’s main desk on my hands-free console.
"This is Ethan Vance! Put me through to floor 4 security immediately!"
"Sir, please hold—"
"Listen to me!" I screamed into the phone. "My mother is in the hospital! She is trying to murder my wife in room 412! Put the floor on total lockdown NOW!"
May you like
The line went quiet for two seconds, then the receptionist’s voice came back, laced with panic.
"Sir... the security panel on floor 4 just went dead. Someone cut the main power feed to the west wing."
