Chapter 5 - The Trial of Whispers
🔴 TRENDING: "The Bullet That Missed... Or Did It? The Shocking Twist in the Hallway!"The bullet didn't hit Diego.
It shattered the glass of a fire extinguisher case on the wall, showering them in sharp shards and white chemical dust.
Diego looked up, gasping. Standing at the end of the hallway was Ms. Jimena. She held a heavy, brass fire extinguisher in her hands, having thrown it at Armando just as he fired, throwing off his aim.
"Run, Diego!" Jimena screamed.
Armando spun around, his face contorted in rage, aiming his gun at Jimena.
"No!" Diego yelled, scrambling to his feet. He lunged at his father, grabbing Armando’s wrist. They wrestled for the weapon, Diego fighting with the desperate, raw strength of a father protecting his child.
Karla scrambled on her hands and knees, grabbing the fallen tablet. She stood up, her eyes wide with panic, and fled toward the back exit of the building, abandoning both her husband and her father-in-law.
"You worthless piece of trash!" Armando spat, slamming his forehead into Diego’s nose. Diego’s vision went black for a second, but he refused to let go of the gun.
BANG!
Another shot fired into the ceiling.
With a final, desperate surge of adrenaline, Diego slammed Armando’s hand against the concrete wall. The gun clattered to the floor. Diego kicked it away, sending it sliding down the hallway.
Armando fell to his knees, clutching his bruised wrist, panting heavily. He looked up at Diego, his silver hair disheveled, his expensive suit ruined.
"You think you've won?" Armando laughed, a dry, manic sound. "I own the judges in this state, Diego. I own the police chief. Even if your federal friends arrest me, I will be out on bail before the sun rises. And when I am... I will destroy you. I will take everything."
"You won't," Diego said, breathing heavily, his nose bleeding.
Suddenly, the heavy double doors at the end of the hallway burst open.
"FEDERAL POLICE! DON'T MOVE!"
A dozen tactical officers in black gear, carrying assault rifles, flooded the hallway. At the front was Javier, his weapon raised.
"Diego! Down!" Javier yelled.
Diego immediately threw his hands up and knelt. The officers swarmed Armando, pinning the older man to the ground. Armando screamed in outrage, protesting his status and demanding his lawyers, but the officers ruthlessly cuffed his hands behind his back.
Javier ran up to Diego, helping him stand. "Are you okay, brother?"
"I'm fine," Diego coughed. "Karla... she took the tablet. She ran toward the back exit. And Renata... she's backstage with Ms. Jimena!"
"We have the building surrounded," Javier said firmly. "She won't get far. Go get your daughter. We’ve got this monster."
Diego ran backstage, his heart in his throat. He burst into the holding room. Renata was there, curled into a ball in the corner, clutching her knees.
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When she saw Diego, her eyes lit up. "Daddy!"
Diego ran to her, pulling her into his arms, holding her so tight he felt her heart beating against his chest. "I'm here, baby. I'm here. It's over. Nobody is ever going to hurt you again."
