Chapter 4 - The Confrontation at the Stables
"Where is Victor now?" Emma asked, looking toward the window.
"He’s in the main office near the stables, blissfully unaware that my accountants have already frozen every account tied to his name," Daniel said, a dark, vindictive smile touching his lips. "The sheriff is waiting for the formal warrant to be signed by the magistrate in town. It should take twenty minutes."
Suddenly, the phone on Daniel’s desk rang loudly.
Daniel answered it, putting it on speakerphone.
"Daniel!" it was John, the head stable master. His voice was frantic, breathless over the receiver. "We’ve got a problem down at Stallion Barn 3! Victor just pulled his truck up to the main office, loaded two aluminum equipment cases into the back, and he's heading toward the north pasture gate!"
Daniel stood up so fast his leather chair slammed into the wall behind him. "Is the north gate unlocked?"
"No, but he’s got the master keys!" John yelled over the sound of wind. "And Daniel... he’s got a gun in his coat! He threatened Sam when Sam tried to ask him what he was doing with the breeding registration files!"
"Block the gate with the tractor, John! Don't let him leave!" Daniel commanded, slamming the phone down.
Daniel looked at Emma. "Stay here with the babies."
"No," Emma said, jumping to her feet. "The north pasture gate leads through the old creek bed. The tractor can't get down there in three feet of snow, but the footbridge near the diner delivery trail cuts right across it! You can head him off before he reaches the county road!"
Daniel hesitated for half a second, seeing the fierce, sharp intelligence in her eyes. "Show me."
Together, they sprinted out of the main house into the blinding white snow storm. The wind was howling, whipping needles of ice across the grounds.
Emma led Daniel down the narrow, pine-lined service trail she used every night when delivering food from the diner. Her sneakers sank deep into the drifts, but she didn't slow down. She knew every curve of this property better than the security guards did—because when you walk in the dark, you learn every root, rock, and fence post.
They reached the wooden footbridge overlooking the creek bed just as Victor’s heavy black 4x4 pickup truck came barreling down the snow-bound access road below. The truck was sliding dangerously on the ice, its tires spinning wildly as it tried to plow through a deep snowdrift near the padlocked north gate.
The truck stalled, its engine sputtering out in a cloud of black exhaust.
Victor jumped out of the cab, cursing violently, carrying a heavy metal briefcase in one hand and a black handgun in the other. He ran toward the manual override box on the gate post.
"HALE!" Daniel’s voice boomed down from the ridge like thunder.
Victor whipped around, pointing the gun up toward the footbridge. His hair was disheveled, his expensive coat covered in snow, his composure entirely destroyed.
"Stay back, Daniel!" Victor screamed over the roar of the wind. "Don't come any closer!"
Daniel stepped in front of Emma, shielding her with his body as they walked down the snowbank toward the road.
"It's over, Victor," Daniel said, his voice deadly calm as he strode forward without fear. "The accounts are frozen. The sheriff has your offshore transfer routing numbers. The night nurse gave a full confession thirty minutes ago."
Victor’s eyes darted wildly between Daniel and the locked gate. The illusion of his sophistication was gone; he looked like a cornered animal.
"I built this ranch!" Victor shrieked, his voice cracking with desperation. "I ran this place while you moped in your room after Claire died! You sat upstairs drinking yourself to sleep while I managed the horses, the staff, the taxes, everything! I deserved that money! It was mine!"
"You tried to freeze my daughters to death, Victor," Daniel said, taking another heavy step forward into the snow. "You left three six-month-old babies in a freezing room for cash."
"I didn't want them to die!" Victor yelled, his hand shaking violently as he aimed the barrel at Daniel’s chest. "They were supposed to just get cold! A fever! A distraction! That's all it was supposed to be! But this... this damn diner girl ruined everything!"
Victor swung the gun’s sight away from Daniel and pointed it directly at Emma.
"If I'm going to jail," Victor snarled, his finger tightening on the trigger, "I'm taking the girl who ruined me with me!"
May you like
BANG!
A gunshot shattered the icy air of the valley.
