Chapter 5 - The Final StandA deafening bang shattered the mountain silence.
But the bullet didn't hit me.
At the exact millisecond Trent squeezed the trigger, a red laser dot danced across his right shoulder, followed instantly by the sharp, concussive crack of a sniper’s rifle from the ridge above us.
Trent screamed as the high-powered round shattered his collarbone, spinning him violently to the side. The Remington hunting rifle slipped from his grasp, clattering down the wooden porch steps into the snow.
He collapsed against the doorframe, clutching his bleeding shoulder, howling in agony as the red stain spread rapidly across his heavy winter coat.
Before he could reach for a backup pistol tucked into his waistband, Keller and three tactical officers swarmed the porch like a wave of dark water. They slammed Trent face-first against the wooden logs, snapping heavy steel handcuffs onto his wrists with practiced efficiency.
"Suspect is secured! Suspect is secured!" Keller shouted into his radio.
I stood at the bottom of the steps, breathing heavily, my heart hammering against my ribs. The adrenaline was finally beginning to fade, replaced by a profound, overwhelming exhaustion.
Agent Santos jogged up the path behind me, breathless, her eyes darting from Trent to me. "Harry! Are you hit?"
"No," I managed to say, my voice shaking slightly. "I'm fine. The sniper beat him to the punch."
"That was Officer Miller," Santos said, lowering her radio. "He had a clear shot the moment Trent raised the barrel. You were an idiot for walking up there, Harry."
"Maybe," I said, watching as the officers hauled Trent to his feet, dragging him down the porch stairs into the blinding snow toward the waiting transport vehicles. "But it's over."
As they shoved Trent into the back of an armored state police van, he lifted his head, glaring at me through the wire mesh window with pure, unadulterated hatred.
"You won't win, old man," he snarled through bloody lips. "My lawyers will—"
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The heavy metal door slammed shut, cutting off his voice entirely.
Santos placed a hand gently on my shoulder. "Let's go home, Harry. Your daughter and your grandson are waiting."
