Chapter 5 - The Deeper Conspiracy
I froze, staring down the dark barrel of the gun.
"Emma, what are you doing?" I choked out, tears stinging my eyes.
"I am surviving, Claire," she replied, her voice completely devoid of emotion.
"Mark is not just a terrible husband who likes to hit you."
"He is the lead money launderer for the largest narcotic syndicate in the Midwest."
My mind spun wildly, trying to process this terrifying new reality.
"The twenty dishes you cooked today?" Emma laughed coldly.
"That was a cover for a massive meeting with the cartel lieutenants."
I finally understood why Mark was so desperate to get the flash drive back.
The bank statements I had screenshotted did not just show money going to Linda.
They showed millions of dollars being routed through Linda's fake charities.
"I didn't know anything about the cartel, Emma," I begged.
"It doesn't matter, Mark is paying me fifty thousand dollars to end this right now," she said.
Emma stepped out of the car, keeping the gun aimed steadily at my heart.
She raised her arm to take the final shot.
A deafening crack echoed through the empty industrial lot.
It was not Emma's gun.
Emma’s eyes went wide with shock as a dark red stain blossomed across her chest.
She collapsed onto the cold pavement, dropping her weapon instantly.
I screamed and dropped to my knees, covering my head in panic.
May you like
A high-caliber sniper bullet had just shattered the quiet night.
Someone else was actively hunting in the dark.
