Chapter 4 - The ConfrontationVance blinked, his eyes adjusting to the dim red light, staring in disbelief at the old man holding his escaped prisoner.
“Well, look what crawled out of the snow,” Vance sneered, stepping closer, a cruel smile twisting his lips. “The old truck driver. Graham said you’d show up eventually. Drop him.”
Julian tensed in my arms, trying to shield me. “Dad, run... he has a gun—”
I didn't run.
I gently lowered Julian down behind a thick wooden pallet stacked with spare generator parts, stepping out into the open corridor. I stood tall, my shoulders squared, letting my heavy wool coat fall open.
Vance laughed, raising the pistol higher. “You think you’re a hero, old man? You’re just a trucker who got in way over his head. Say goodbye to the Mercer fortune.”
He pulled the trigger.
Click.
Vance’s expression froze.
He pulled the trigger again.
Click. Click.
From behind him, a calm, chillingly familiar voice echoed down the stone corridor.
“You shouldn't trust cheap radio jammers, Mr. Vance. They tend to block more than just cell phones.”
Vance spun around, dropping his weapon in shock.
Standing at the top of the stairs, flanked by four heavily armed tactical officers from the Cedar Hollow Major Crimes Office, was Benjamin Ross. And beside him stood Captain Vance of the police department—no relation to the thug in the hallway.
“Federal and state warrants for racketeering, kidnapping, and corporate fraud,” Captain Vance announced, stepping down the stairs with his service weapon drawn. “Drop your hands where I can see them!”
The mercenary stared wildly between the police officers, tried to reach for a backup knife on his belt, and was immediately tackled to the concrete floor by three tactical officers, his face slamming hard into the dust.
Julian let out a ragged breath, leaning back against the pallets.
“Dad... how did you...”
“I called Benjamin before I left the apartment,” I said, walking over and kneeling beside my son. “I told him to coordinate with the police to activate an electronic signal jammer across the entire estate’s security grid, disabling their remote locks, panic buttons, and cameras. They were blind before I even crossed the fence line.”
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Captain Vance walked over, looking down at Julian with deep concern. “Paramedics are waiting outside the perimeter. Let’s get him out of here.”
“Not yet,” I said, standing up and brushing the dust off my sleeves. “There’s a party upstairs. And I think it’s time the host met the truck driver.”
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