Chapter 34 - The Ambush
"Don't move a single muscle, or you will all be shot where you stand," a cold, cultured, and utterly terrifying voice echoed across the courtyard.
Out of the thick fog stepped Julian Vance. He was flanked by four massive, heavily armed private security contractors, their weapons raised and aimed directly at our chests.
My blood ran completely cold. The trap had not been set by us; we had walked directly into his.
"You honestly thought Richard wouldn't call me the moment you left the prison?" Julian sneered, stepping closer, his silver cane tapping against the concrete. "Richard is a coward. He told me exactly what he revealed to you in exchange for a promise that I would deposit funds into his commissary account. He played you, Emily."
Julian’s eyes locked onto the heavy steel lockbox currently resting in my trembling hands. A greedy, triumphant glint sparked in his dark eyes.
"Hand over the box, Emily," Julian demanded, extending his hand. "That box contains the original documents and the decryption keys to the remaining offshore accounts. You have done the hard work of digging it out of the wall for me. Now, hand it over, and I might just let you walk away with your lives."
Mateo stepped smoothly in front of Vanessa and me, completely shielding us with his broad shoulders. He did not raise his hands. He stood with the unyielding, terrifying calm of a man who had faced down cartels in South America.
"You are not touching my daughters," Mateo stated, his voice a low, lethal rumble that resonated in the damp air.
May you like
Julian laughed, a dry, coughing sound. "Ah, the prodigal father returns from the dead. Mateo Vargas. Thirty-four years too late to save your family. My men are armed with suppressed weapons. If I give the order, you will all disappear into the river, and the police will simply assume you fled the state to avoid the eviction."
The armed men took a synchronized step forward, tightening the perimeter. We were completely cornered in the abandoned courtyard, surrounded by highly paid killers, with absolutely nowhere left to run.
