Chapter 5 - The Sister's Betrayal
The audio recording played through my earpiece, shattering every illusion I had left about my family.
Skylar was not a victim caught in the crossfire of our father's dangerous secrets.
She was an active participant working directly with the cartel to secure the billions hidden under my land.
I listened to her tell Marcus that staging the hostage video was the perfect way to lure me into a trap.
She complained about the penthouse being messy, showing absolutely no concern for our mother tied to the chair.
I crushed the phone in my grip, feeling a cold, calculating rage replace all my panic.
I looked across the helicopter cabin at Hank, who was busy loading specialized breaching rounds into his shotgun.
I told him that the hostage situation was a coordinated ambush designed by my own sister.
Hank did not look surprised, simply stating that greed makes monsters out of the people closest to us.
The Blackhawk soared over the glittering city lights of Nashville, approaching the luxury high-rise district.
The pilot announced over the headset that he could not land on the roof due to civilian air traffic laws.
He told us we would have to deploy onto an adjacent building and cross over manually.
The chopper hovered dangerously close to the roof of a parking garage next to Skylar's luxury building.
Hank and I fast-roped down to the concrete roof, disappearing into the shadows before anyone noticed.
We moved swiftly down the emergency stairwell, crossing the alleyway that separated the two massive structures.
I knew Skylar's penthouse was on the forty-second floor, accessible only by a private, key-card elevator.
I used my military training to bypass the ground floor security desk through the underground loading dock.
We found the service elevator, which bypassed the luxury lobby entirely.
I wired the control panel, forcing the carriage to ascend directly to the top floor without stopping.
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing a dark, marble hallway.
I drew my rifle and stepped out, moving silently toward the massive double doors of the penthouse.
We could hear Marcus talking loudly inside, bragging about how easily I had fallen for their pathetic trap.
Hank attached a small, specialized explosive charge to the heavy brass door hinges.
I took a deep breath, readied my weapon, and gave Hank the signal to detonate.
The explosion blew the doors completely inward, filling the luxurious living room with thick white smoke.
I rushed through the breach, aiming my rifle directly at the center of the room where my mother had been tied up.
The smoke cleared slightly, revealing the chair sitting completely empty.
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Before I could process what was happening, the cold barrel of a gun was pressed firmly against the back of my head.
My mother's voice whispered softly in my ear, telling me I should have just stayed in the woods.
