Chapter 7 - The Arrest
The deafening roar of the helicopter blades drowned out the freezing wind on the river.
A loud voice boomed from the chopper’s megaphone.
“Drop your weapons and place your hands on your head immediately!”
Vincent squinted against the blinding spotlight.
He knew exactly what was happening.
Charles had not just called a mercenary extraction team; he had also called his corrupt contacts in the local police force.
Charles smiled a wicked, desperate smile.
“I told you, Vince, you don't know what you are dealing with,” Charles sneered.
Dozens of armed tactical officers swarmed down the snowy embankment from the main road.
They completely surrounded the dock, their red laser sights dotting Vincent’s chest.
Vincent knew that fighting the police would only end in a bloodbath and ensure he never found Sofia.
He slowly lowered the stolen rifle and placed it gently into the snow.
He raised his hands and knelt down, surrendering to the inevitable arrest.
The officers rushed forward, violently slamming Vincent face-first onto the frozen wooden planks.
They slapped heavy steel handcuffs tightly around his wrists.
“Vincent Moretti, you are under arrest for the suspected murder of your missing wife,” a detective announced loudly.
Vincent struggled against the aggressive grip of the officers.
“He is the one working with the Romanos!” Vincent shouted, nodding toward Charles.
The detective completely ignored Vincent and walked over to Charles, offering a respectful handshake.
“Are you alright, Mr. Bellamy?” the corrupt detective asked smoothly.
“I am fine, Detective,” Charles lied effortlessly, adjusting his ruined suit.
“I caught him trying to destroy evidence linking him to Sofia’s disappearance.”
Vincent realized the full, terrifying scope of Charles’s master plan.
He was not just stealing the empire; he was framing Vincent perfectly for Sofia’s murder to ensure the takeover was totally legitimate.
They dragged Vincent roughly up the embankment and threw him into the back of a freezing police cruiser.
As the car drove away from his estate, Vincent stared out the window in absolute despair.
He was trapped in a police cell, and Sofia was locked in an abandoned mine somewhere up north.
Hours passed in the sterile, windowless interrogation room at the county precinct.
Vincent refused to speak to the detectives, demanding his one phone call.
Finally, the heavy metal door swung open.
It wasn't a corrupt detective who walked into the room.
It was Dominic, looking incredibly grim but remarkably determined.
“How did you get in here?” Vincent asked, sitting up straight.
“I called in every single favor the family has left in this city,” Dominic explained quietly.
Dominic slid a small, encrypted burner phone across the metal table.
“I managed to interrogate Isabella before the police arrived at the estate,” Dominic revealed.
“She broke easily when I told her Charles had completely abandoned her.”
Vincent leaned forward, his eyes burning with renewed, desperate hope.
“Did she tell you where the mining tunnels are?” Vincent asked urgently.
Dominic nodded slowly, pulling a folded map from his jacket pocket.
May you like
“Yes, but we have a massive problem, Vince,” Dominic warned him.
“Charles ordered the Romanos to flood the tunnels with explosive gas to destroy the evidence before sunrise.”
