Chapter 9 - The Desperate Ploy
I stared down the barrel of Julian’s suppressed pistol, the sterile hum of the internet cafe masking the deafening roar of my own heartbeat.
He wasn't just a lawyer; he was the architect of this entire nightmare, pulling the strings of my husband, my brother, and the corrupt police.
He wanted the payout, and I was the only obstacle left.
"You won't get away with this," I spat, gripping the edge of the computer desk.
"I already have," Julian smirked confidently. "By tomorrow morning, you'll be the tragic mother who snapped, killed her child, and then took her own life in a fit of remorse."
He extended his left hand, palm up. "The drive. Now."
I slowly reached toward the computer, my fingers brushing against the plastic casing of the flash drive still plugged into the dead machine.
I needed to create chaos. It was my only remaining option.
Instead of pulling the drive out, I grabbed the heavy, CRT monitor sitting on the desk and violently shoved it forward.
The bulky machine crashed into Julian's chest, knocking him backward into the narrow aisle.
The pistol fired with a muffled phut, the bullet shattering the cheap veneer of the booth where my head had been seconds before.
I didn't wait to see if he recovered.
I snatched the flash drive, scrambled over the back of the booth, and sprinted toward the cafe's rear emergency exit.
"Stop her!" Julian bellowed, his polished demeanor shattering into pure rage.
I burst through the heavy metal door, triggering a blaring alarm that echoed down the dark, trash-strewn alleyway.
I ran blindly, my lungs burning, the cold night air biting at my face.
I could hear heavy footsteps pounding the pavement behind me. Julian wasn't giving up.
I dodged behind a rusted dumpster, desperately scanning the alley for a way out.
A rusted fire escape clung to the brick wall of an abandoned apartment building a few yards away.
I sprinted toward it, grabbing the lowest rung and hauling myself upward just as Julian rounded the corner.
He fired again, the bullet ricocheting off the metal grating mere inches from my foot.
I climbed higher, ignoring the agonizing burn in my muscles, desperate to reach the roof.
I scrambled over the parapet, collapsing onto the tar-paper surface, gasping for breath.
I crawled to the edge and peered over.
Julian was standing in the alley below, speaking rapidly into a cell phone.
He was calling for backup. Reynolds, Mark, the paramedic—they would all be swarming this building within minutes.
I had the evidence, but I was trapped on a rooftop with nowhere left to run.
I pulled the flash drive from my pocket, staring at the small piece of plastic that held the truth about my daughter's attempted murder.
If they caught me, they would destroy it, and Addie would be left completely unprotected.
I noticed a heavy, metal ventilation pipe protruding from the roof near my feet.
An insane, desperate plan began to form in my mind.
I couldn't escape with the evidence, but I could ensure they never found it, either.
I took off my wedding ring, a heavy diamond band Luke had given me five years ago.
I slid the flash drive into the hollow center of the ring, securing it tightly.
Then, I pried open the rusted grate of the ventilation pipe and dropped the ring down the dark shaft.
I listened to it clatter against the metal sides, falling deep into the labyrinthine ductwork of the abandoned building.
The evidence was safe, hidden where they would never think to look.
But I was still trapped.
The heavy metal door leading to the roof suddenly burst open, and Julian stepped out, followed closely by Detective Reynolds.
May you like
They both raised their weapons, aiming directly at my chest.
"It's over," Julian stated coldly.
