Chapter 6 - Sins of the Father
The toxic air in the chemical plant suddenly felt too heavy to breathe.
I lowered my weapon slightly as Julian’s words echoed in my mind.
He claimed that Don Moretti had orchestrated the murder of the man who saved his own son.
Adrian stepped forward and angrily called his brother a liar.
Julian sneered and kicked a dusty metal lockbox across the floor toward us.
He told Adrian to read the financial ledgers hidden inside if he wanted proof.
I kept my gun aimed at Julian while Adrian slowly opened the box.
Adrian pulled out a stack of yellowed documents bearing their father's signature.
His face turned completely ashen as he read the details of the payments.
The money had been wired to the traitorous lieutenant exactly one hour before my father was gunned down.
A wave of absolute betrayal washed over me and made my vision blur.
The man I had fallen in love with was the son of my father's murderer.
Julian used my moment of hesitation to grab my mother by the collar.
He dragged her toward a metal catwalk suspended high above a vat of industrial acid.
I snapped out of my shock and sprinted up the rusty iron stairs to stop him.
Adrian drew his weapon and fired a warning shot that sparked against the metal railing.
Julian ignored the gunshot and pulled a detonator from his coat pocket.
He threatened to blow up the entire catwalk if we took another step.
My mother looked at me with tears in her eyes and told me to let her go.
She begged me to survive and take care of my baby because I was strong enough to do it alone.
I refused to accept defeat and slowly walked toward the middle of the bridge.
I told Julian that his war was with me and he should release an innocent woman.
Julian smiled cruelly and said he preferred to leave no loose ends.
He shoved my mother forcefully over the edge of the railing.
I dove forward and barely managed to catch her wrist with my left hand.
My arm screamed in agony as the sudden weight threatened to pull us both down.
Julian walked over and raised his heavy combat boot to crush my fingers.
Before his foot could connect with my hand, Adrian tackled him from behind.
The two brothers engaged in a brutal and bloody fistfight on the narrow metal platform.
I used all my remaining strength to haul my mother back over the railing to safety.
May you like
I turned around just in time to see Julian pull a hidden knife from his boot.
He lunged forward and plunged the blade deep into Adrian’s side.
