Chapter 13 - TRIAL BY FIREThe whirring blades of military helicopters began to shake the foundation of the mansion from the sky above. Heavy spotlights cut through the high stained-glass windows of the estate, illuminating the fog in bright beams of white light.
"DROP YOUR WEAPONS! THIS IS THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION!" a voice echoed from a loudspeaker overhead.
Sterling’s face turned red with explosive rage. "Kill him!" he screamed to his guards. "KILL HIM NOW!"
The lead guard hesitated, hearing the roar of federal helicopters surrounding the perimeter. But the second guard, driven by panic, raised his rifle and fired!
BANG!
Daniel dove behind a heavy steel support beam as the bullet ricocheted off the iron structure with a deafening screech.
Using the darkness to his advantage, Daniel kicked an industrial tool cart into the guards, knocking two of them off their feet. He lunged forward, swinging his titanium hammer with precision, disarming the third guard with a swift strike to the forearm.
Sterling turned and bolted toward the secondary escape tunnel—the same Prohibition passage Daniel had used six months ago.
"Not this time!" Daniel shouted, sprinting after him into the stone corridor.
The chase ended at the mouth of the old wine cellar balcony overlooking the open limestone quarry. Rain was pouring once again, slicking the rocks below.
Sterling reached the edge of the terrace, realizing his escape helicopter had already been forced down by two armed FBI gunships hovering in the clouds above.
Cornered, Sterling turned, pointing his revolver directly at Daniel's chest.
"You think you won?" Sterling panted, his hair soaked with rain. "Apex has trillions in assets, Mercer! You cut off one head, three more will take its place! You're just a glorified carpenter!"
"Maybe," Daniel said, walking steadily forward despite the gun pointed at his heart. "But a good carpenter knows when a structure is beyond repair. And your whole empire is rotten at the foundation."
CLICK.
Sterling pulled the trigger—but nothing happened. The deluge fire sprinklers in the hallway had soaked his revolver minutes earlier, misfiring the damp primer.
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Before Sterling could rack the slide, Daniel stepped in, grabbed the barrel, twisted it out of his grip, and pinned Sterling against the wet stone wall.
"The Mercer Estate stays standing," Daniel whispered into his ear. "And you're going away forever."
