Chapter 6 - The Vault of Secrets
Vanessa looked up from the wiring with a cold, terrifying smile on her face.
She did not look surprised to see me standing there with a gun aimed at her head.
She casually dropped the wire cutters and raised her hands in a mocking gesture of surrender.
I ordered her to step away from the explosive device and get on the ground.
She laughed and told me the bomb was already armed with a dead-man's switch.
If I shot her, her heart rate monitor would trigger the detonator and bury us both under tons of concrete.
I kept my weapon steady, analyzing the blinking red lights on the explosive charge.
She was bluffing, trying to buy enough time for her corrupt police backup to arrive.
I told her I knew about her fake death, her syndicate ties, and her deal with Director Vance.
She praised my investigative skills but claimed I was still incredibly naive.
She explained that she never wanted my father's money.
She wanted the documents my father had hidden in his safety deposit box.
My father used to be a forensic accountant for the city before he retired.
He had accidentally uncovered a massive money-laundering network operating through the police department.
Vanessa was sent to marry my brother simply to get close to my father and destroy his credibility.
The staged domestic abuse and the mental instability claims were all designed to make his testimony worthless in court.
I realized how perfectly she had orchestrated this entire nightmare.
I slowly stepped forward and told her that my father was safe in a federal hospital.
I pulled the muddy brass key I had taken from Vance out of my pocket.
Vanessa's arrogant smile instantly vanished when she saw the key.
She lunged toward me with a hidden combat knife drawn from her boot.
I sidestepped her attack and brought the butt of my gun down hard on her wrist.
The knife clattered to the marble floor.
I kicked her legs out from under her and pinned her to the ground.
I secured her hands with heavy metal cuffs and checked the explosive device.
There was no dead-man's switch connected to a heart monitor.
It was just a simple timer, and it had exactly three minutes left.
Suddenly, the heavy steel vault door slammed shut and locked from the outside.
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I looked through the thick glass window of the door.
Officer Davis was standing on the other side, waving goodbye.
