Chapter 7 - Sins of the Father
My father stood in the dim light, his hands shaking so violently the heavy gun barrel rattled against the empty air.
Tears streamed freely down his deeply wrinkled face, completely shattering the strong image I had held of him my entire life.
"Dad, please put the gun down and let me take my babies home," I begged quietly, keeping my hands raised where he could see them.
"I can't do that, Sarah," he choked out, completely avoiding my desperate gaze.
"You are a good man, you would never hurt your own daughter or your innocent grandchildren," I reasoned, trying to keep my voice perfectly steady.
He let out a pathetic, broken laugh that echoed strangely throughout the cavernous, empty warehouse.
"I am not a good man, I am a pathetic coward who owes a million dollars in illegal gambling debts to Marcus Vance," he finally confessed.
The horrific truth hit me like a physical blow to the chest, completely knocking the breath from my lungs.
"You used my husband's past gambling problems as a cover to hide your own massive, dangerous debts," I realized aloud.
He nodded miserably, tightening his sweaty grip on the cold metal weapon.
"Your mother controls absolutely all the money in our family, and she flatly refused to pay Vance to save my life," he explained.
"Then why are you helping her steal my children tonight?" I demanded angrily.
"Because my wealthy father left a massive, ten-million-dollar trust fund exclusively for his great-grandchildren, which they inherit if you are ever deemed legally unfit," he cried.
"If she gets permanent custody of the girls, she gets absolute control of the ten million dollars," I deduced, the sickening pieces finally falling perfectly into place.
He nodded again, wiping a fresh tear away with the back of his trembling hand.
"She promised to pay off Vance and save my life if I helped her take the girls away from you forever," he whispered.
"I will never let that happen, Dad," I promised fiercely, taking a slow, deliberate step toward him.
He raised the heavy gun slightly higher, aiming it directly at the center of my chest.
Before he could pull the trigger, the sharp sound of expensive high heels clicking loudly against the concrete floor echoed from the dark corner.
My mother stepped elegantly out of the heavy shadows, wearing a luxurious fur coat completely untouched by the dirty environment.
She casually pushed my weeping father aside with one hand, completely disgusted by his emotional weakness.
She held a small, black plastic detonator in her left hand, her thumb hovering dangerously over the bright red button.
"Your father is entirely useless, but I always make sure to handle the important details myself," she announced with a chillingly calm smile.
"What is that?" I asked, staring in absolute terror at the small device in her hand.
"Remember that mysterious, sudden illness that put your husband in the hospital this week?" she asked rhetorically.
"You poisoned him," I gasped, the horrific reality of her pure evil finally crashing down on me.
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"I did, and Nurse Rebecca planted a remote-controlled toxin pump inside his IV bag tonight," she revealed proudly.
"If I push this button right now, a lethal dose of heavy potassium will instantly stop his heart, and no one will ever know it wasn't natural," she threatened quietly.
