Chapter 5 - The Burning Truth
Ethan knew jumping into the rocky ravine was incredibly dangerous, but staying meant certain death.
He secured the bag of cash tightly across his chest with a leather strap.
He wrapped his arms protectively around Sophie and held his breath.
Ethan leaped out of the broken window and plunged into the dark abyss.
They crashed violently through a thick canopy of pine branches that broke their fall.
Ethan landed hard on the snowy ground, the impact knocking the wind completely out of him.
He gasped for air and quickly checked Sophie to ensure she was unharmed.
She was terrified and bruised, but miraculously she had no broken bones.
Ethan forced himself to stand up despite the agonizing pain in his ribs.
They hiked away from the raging forest fire for several hours until they reached civilization.
They finally arrived at a deserted, neon-lit gas station on the edge of town.
Ethan used the dusty payphone to call his trusted corporate lawyer, Marcus.
Marcus answered on the first ring, his voice filled with extreme panic.
Ethan explained everything about the fake identity, the murder, and the burning estate.
Marcus told Ethan that he had just uncovered something massive regarding Clara's estate.
He begged Ethan to come to his downtown office immediately to retrieve the documents.
Ethan paid a sleepy truck driver a thousand dollars in cash to drive them to the city.
The sun was just beginning to rise when the truck pulled up to the lawyer's building.
Ethan thanked the driver and walked toward the revolving glass doors with Sophie.
He noticed that the security guard at the front desk was missing.
Ethan felt a deep sense of dread wash over him as he entered the lobby.
He pressed the elevator button for the fourteenth floor where Marcus worked.
The elevator doors opened to reveal a hallway filled with thick, black smoke.
Ethan covered Sophie's mouth and crept toward his lawyer's office suite.
The heavy oak doors of the office had been blown completely off their hinges.
Ethan looked inside and saw flames devouring the expensive leather furniture.
He saw a man stepping out of the smoke, wearing a dark suit and holding a gas can.
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The arsonist slowly turned around, and Ethan instantly recognized him.
It was Marcus, his own trusted lawyer, pouring gasoline on the remaining files.
