Chapter 8 - The Desperate Sprint
Daniel swung the heavy red fire extinguisher like a battering ram, aiming directly for my chest.
I dove hard to the right, crashing onto the polished marble floor as the metal cylinder smashed into the wall behind me.
Sarah screamed for help, but the long courthouse corridor was completely empty due to the late afternoon hour.
Daniel did not stop his relentless assault, lifting the heavy extinguisher above his head for a crushing downward strike.
I rolled quickly onto my back and kicked out with both boots, striking Daniel squarely in his kneecaps.
He groaned in pain and stumbled backward, dropping the heavy metal cylinder onto the floor with a deafening clatter.
I scrambled to my feet, clutching the plastic sleeve containing the will tightly against my chest.
I knew that fighting him would only waste precious time, and the clock on the wall clearly showed four-forty-five.
I shoved past Daniel and sprinted down the hallway toward the secondary entrance of the probate office.
Daniel recovered quickly and chased after me, his heavy footsteps echoing loudly against the marble walls.
He lunged forward and grabbed the back of my jacket, violently yanking me backward onto the hard floor.
I hit the ground hard, gasping for air as the breath was completely knocked out of my lungs.
Daniel pinned me down with his knees and desperately reached for the plastic sleeve in my hands.
He snarled like a wild animal, tearing at my fingers and trying to rip the precious document away from me.
I refused to let go, twisting my body and throwing a desperate punch that landed solidly on his jaw.
Daniel reeled backward just long enough for me to scramble back to my feet.
I turned and sprinted the final thirty feet toward the heavy glass doors of the clerk's office.
I crashed through the doors just as the elderly clerk was reaching up to flip the open sign to closed.
I slammed the plastic sleeve down onto the wooden counter, gasping for air and bleeding from a cut on my forehead.
I loudly declared that I was officially filing the final will and testament of my late father.
The clerk looked at me in absolute shock, her eyes darting between my bruised face and the aggressive man standing behind me.
Daniel burst into the office a second later, completely out of breath and pointing a frantic finger at me.
He yelled at the clerk, claiming that I was a violent, unstable criminal and that the document was a complete forgery.
He demanded that she call courthouse security immediately to have me arrested for assault and trespassing.
The elderly clerk adjusted her glasses, looking completely unfazed by Daniel's loud and intimidating behavior.
She picked up the plastic sleeve, slid the document out carefully, and examined the heavy notary seal at the bottom of the page.
Daniel smirked triumphantly, crossing his arms and waiting for her to tear the document in half.
Instead, the clerk pulled a specialized UV light pen from her desk drawer and shined it directly over the signature.
She looked up at Daniel with a stern, unyielding expression that made his arrogant smile vanish instantly.
She calmly stated that the hidden watermark was perfectly intact, and the document was completely, undeniably authentic.
She brought her heavy ink stamp down onto the top corner of the page with a loud, resounding thud.
The will was officially filed at exactly four-fifty-nine in the afternoon, securing my victory forever.
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Daniel let out a horrifying scream of absolute rage and lunged across the wooden counter toward the elderly woman.
Before his hands could even reach her, a loud, commanding voice ordered him to freeze immediately.
