Chapter 2 - The Hostage
The collective gasp in the dining room echoed off the walls.
My combat training instantly slowed my perception of time.
I analyzed the distance between the barrel of the gun and my chest.
Chase was shaking, which made him unpredictable and extremely dangerous.
"Put the weapon down, son," Graham ordered in his commanding Marine voice.
"Shut up, old man," Chase snapped.
"You built this company, but I am the one who made it profitable."
Miles slowly raised his hands in the air.
"You sold defective parts to the military just to boost your profit margins," Miles stated.
Chase kept the gun trained on me.
"The military budget is infinite, and they always buy replacements."
I kept my voice completely level.
"You sabotaged American pilots for money."
Evan stepped slightly in front of me, raising his hands toward his brother.
"Chase, put it down before you make this worse."
"You were supposed to control her, Evan!" Chase yelled.
"You promised me she would never dig into that flight log if you kept her busy playing house."
The betrayal hit me harder than any physical blow ever could.
My husband had intentionally belittled me for years to destroy my professional confidence.
He wanted me to believe I was nothing more than an administrator so I would stop asking questions about the crash.
"I have the proof on my laptop," Evan pleaded.
"We can just delete the files and let her walk away."
Chase sneered and cocked the hammer of the gun.
"She is a TOPGUN instructor, you idiot."
"She will walk straight to the Pentagon the second she leaves this room."
I did not wait for him to finish his thought.
I kicked the heavy oak dining table upward with all my strength.
The wood crashed into Chase's wrist, sending the gun flying into the air.
I vaulted over the fallen table and drove my elbow into his jaw.
Chase collapsed instantly against the hardwood floor.
I grabbed the handgun, ejected the magazine, and cleared the chamber in one fluid motion.
I snatched my challenge coin from Miles and grabbed Evan by the collar.
"Where is the laptop?" I demanded.
"In my car outside," Evan choked out.
Graham walked over and punched a code into the wall keypad to lift the steel shutters.
"Take the files and burn this company to the ground, Commander," Graham said.
I ran out the front door and sprinted toward Evan's car.
I threw the passenger door open and grabbed the black leather laptop bag.
May you like
Suddenly, a massive spotlight blinded me from the end of the driveway.
Three black armored vehicles blocked the exit, and a dozen armed mercenaries stepped out into the rain.
