Chapter 8 - The Stairwell
I charged through the thick, choking smoke of the intensive care unit without a single moment of hesitation.
The blinding gray haze burned my eyes, but I kept my focus locked on the tall figure pushing my wife’s hospital bed.
The fake doctor slammed the heavy metal door of the emergency exit stairwell open, shoving the bed forcefully onto the landing.
I sprinted forward and grabbed the closing metal door just before the heavy magnetic lock could click shut.
I yanked the door open and stepped onto the concrete landing, the deafening fire alarm completely muffled behind the thick steel.
The man in the stolen white coat turned around, pulling a sleek, suppressed handgun from his waistband.
He pointed the lethal weapon directly at my chest, his face completely hidden behind a blue surgical mask and a dark baseball cap.
I slowly raised my hands in the air, instantly recognizing the cold, calculating eyes staring back at me.
It was Victor Vance, the notorious loan shark who had just thrown my family out onto the street hours ago.
Victor chuckled darkly, pulling down his surgical mask to reveal his jagged, terrifying scar.
"You really thought your pathetic mother came up with a two million dollar insurance fraud scheme on her own?" Victor taunted.
He explained that he had heavily financed Margaret's luxurious lifestyle specifically to trap her in massive debt.
Once my mother was completely desperate for money, Victor introduced the idea of poisoning Gwen for the massive insurance payout.
Victor was the sole beneficiary of the shadow corporation listed on the fraudulent life insurance policy.
He intended to murder Gwen right here in the hospital, collect the massive payout, and leave Margaret to take the entire fall.
He demanded that I step away from the hospital bed, warning me that he only needed Gwen to die to get exactly what he wanted.
I looked down at my fragile wife, who was breathing heavily through an oxygen mask, completely unaware of the danger.
I slowly lowered my hands, locking eyes with the ruthless criminal who had orchestrated the entire destruction of my family.
I told Victor that he had made one massive, fatal miscalculation when planning his brilliant insurance fraud.
Victor sneered, tightening his grip on the suppressed handgun and asking me exactly what he had missed.
I smiled coldly and explained that military spouses cannot be insured by civilian shadow corporations without the active service member's biometric signature.
I revealed that I had already canceled the fraudulent policy from my secure military terminal three hours ago.
Victor’s confident smirk vanished instantly, replaced by a look of absolute, terrifying fury.
He realized that the two million dollar payday he was about to commit murder for no longer existed.
In that crucial split second of hesitation, I lunged forward with explosive, lethal speed.
I violently kicked the heavy metal hospital bed directly into Victor’s knees, completely knocking him off balance.
The suppressed handgun fired wildly into the concrete ceiling, sending a shower of sparks raining down on the dark stairwell.
I tackled Victor hard against the concrete wall, driving my elbow brutally into his jaw with all the strength I possessed.
Victor groaned in agony, dropping the weapon as we both collapsed heavily onto the hard metal stairs.
I scrambled to grab the dropped gun, but Victor violently kicked me in the chest, sending me tumbling down the sharp concrete steps.
I hit the landing below with a sickening crunch, the absolute wind completely knocked out of my lungs.
May you like
I looked up through blurred vision and saw Victor standing over Gwen’s bed, pulling a sharp, lethal syringe from his coat pocket.
He smiled wickedly, declaring that if he couldn't get the money, he was going to take my entire world away instead.
