Chapter 4 - The Debt
I stared at the doctor, completely unable to process the sheer magnitude of his confession.
"A cartel?" I asked, ensuring I had heard him correctly.
Dr. Evans collapsed back into his leather chair and buried his face in his trembling hands.
"Vanessa owes a massive gambling debt to a local syndicate, and they are threatening to collect in blood."
He explained that Vanessa had been using Marcus as a pawn to extort money from our family to pay her debts.
When I cut off her access to the funds by exposing her at the party, she had to pivot immediately.
"She promised the syndicate that she would secure your life insurance policy to cover her debt," Dr. Evans admitted.
I felt a cold shiver run down my spine as I realized the true depth of her depravity.
Vanessa was not just trying to take my kids away; she was actively trying to have me killed.
"You are going to call the police and confess everything," I told the doctor, pulling out my phone.
Before I could dial the number, the heavy wooden door to the office slammed shut and locked from the outside.
I rushed to the door and twisted the brass knob, but it would not budge.
Dr. Evans stood up in panic, backing away toward the large glass window overlooking the parking lot.
"They found me," he whimpered, pointing a shaking finger toward the glass.
I looked out the window and saw three men in dark suits stepping out of a black SUV.
They were walking purposefully toward the clinic entrance, carrying heavy duffel bags.
"We need to get out of here right now," I said, grabbing a heavy metal chair from the corner of the room.
I swung the chair with all my strength, completely shattering the large office window.
The sound of breaking glass triggered the clinic's fire alarm, sending a piercing siren echoing through the building.
I pushed Dr. Evans toward the broken window and forced him to climb out onto the grassy lawn.
I followed closely behind him, ignoring the sharp shards of glass cutting into my palms.
We sprinted across the lawn just as the office door was violently kicked off its hinges.
One of the suited men leaned out the broken window and fired a silenced pistol at us.
The bullet grazed my shoulder, tearing through my shirt and leaving a burning trail of pain in its wake.
I dragged the doctor behind a parked delivery truck, completely out of the sniper's line of sight.
My phone suddenly rang in my pocket, the loud ringtone cutting through the sound of the blaring fire alarms.
I answered the call, breathing heavily as blood dripped down my left arm.
May you like
It was Marcus, and he was laughing hysterically on the other end of the line.
"You really shouldn't have left Claire home all alone, Daniel."
