Chapter 9 - Victoria’s Endgame"I knew you'd come, mother-in-law," Victoria said, her voice echoing off the high concrete walls. She didn't even look surprised. She stood calmly beside the open casket, her designer trench coat soaked and mud-splattered at the hem.
"Where is Chloe?" I demanded, gripping the tire iron behind my back as I stepped cautiously forward out of the shadows.
Victoria gestured with the syringe toward the dark interior of the casket. "She’s right inside. Sleeping peacefully. Just like she should have been two days ago."
"You monsters," I choked out, tears mixing with the rain dripping from my hair. "She’s six years old! How could you do this to your own child?"
Victoria let out a cold, bitter laugh. "You think Julian and I wanted kids? We wanted freedom. We wanted a life we couldn't afford. The medical bills were drowning us, and the syndicate offered a way out. All we had to do was hand her over to the buyers in Europe after the 'funeral'. But then you had to play hero."
"The police have Julian," I said, taking another step forward. "They have the financial records. You have nowhere to run, Victoria."
Victoria’s smile vanished, replaced by a look of pure, venomous hatred. "Run? I'm not running. I'm finishing the transaction."
Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed behind me from the shadows of the doorway.
Before I could turn around, strong arms grabbed me from behind, wrenching my arms behind my back and ripping the tire iron from my grip. It clattered loudly against the concrete floor.
Two men—the same thugs who had shaken me down at the hospital—pushed me forward onto my knees directly in front of Victoria and the open casket.
Inside the box, I saw Chloe. Her eyes were closed, her tiny chest barely moving.
"Put her in the box, boys," Victoria commanded coldly. "And make sure the lid is nailed down this time. Permanently."
The two men hoisted Chloe’s limp body out of a nearby chair and dragged her toward the casket.
"No! NO! Leave her alone!" I screamed, thrashing against my captors with every ounce of strength I had left in my aging body.
Victoria stepped closer, crouching down so her face was inches from mine. "Say goodbye to your granddaughter, Mother. Because the next time someone opens that box, there won't be anything left inside."
She raised the syringe, ready to plunge the paralyzing drug into Chloe's arm once more.
May you like
I closed my eyes, a wave of despair crushing my chest. I had failed. We were going to die here, buried in the dark.
Then, the roof above us exploded with a deafening roar.
