Chapter 7 - The Final Confrontation on the RoofWith a desperate shove, Claire shattered the stained-glass window with the candelabra, crawling through the jagged opening onto the slate-tiled roof of the mansion.
The night wind whipped her hair across her face, carrying the distant smell of rain. Below her, the front courtyard was a dizzying drop. She pressed her back against the steep slope of the roof, her bare feet slipping on the slick slate tiles.
Ethan climbed through the broken window after her, his movements calculated and calm. He stepped out onto the roof, spreading his arms slightly to balance against the wind.
"End of the line, Claire," Ethan said, his voice carrying over the wind. "Just give me the flash drive you took from my father's desk, and maybe—just maybe—we can make your disappearance look peaceful."
"I don't have a flash drive!" Claire shouted back, her fingers digging into the rough slate. "There is no flash drive, Ethan! I only found the paper trail!"
Before Ethan could reply, a blinding beam of light cut across the rooftop.
Below them, Detective Vance’s cruiser—joined by three unmarked federal vehicles—had flooded the courtyard with high-intensity spotlights. A megaphone crackled to life, echoing off the stone walls of the mansion.
“ETHAN STERLING. DROP YOUR WEAPON AND STEP AWAY FROM THE EDGE. THIS IS THE FBI.”
Ethan froze. His head snapped down toward the courtyard. For the first time all night, true panic flickered across his face. "FBI? That’s impossible... Vance said his jurisdiction—"
"Vance didn't jurisdiction federal corruption, Ethan," a booming voice echoed from below.
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Step by step, a tall figure in a tailored dark suit walked out from the shadow of the portico. It wasn't just local police. It was Director Hayes of the Federal Anti-Corruption Task Force.
And standing right beside him, handcuffed and looking thoroughly defeated, was Detective Vance.
