Chapter 8 - The Final Exchange
The sight of my little boy dangling over the dark water completely shattered my heart.
Leo was crying hysterically, reaching his tiny arms out for a mother he couldn't even see yet.
I cut the boat's engine and let us drift silently until we bumped against the wooden dock.
"Let him go, Marcus!" I yelled, stepping out onto the dock with my hands empty.
Marcus smiled wickedly, holding the crying toddler by the collar of his small pajamas.
"Where is the flash drive, Charles?" Marcus demanded, pointing a gun at my head with his free hand.
Sarah stumbled out of the boat, her face pale as she looked at her precious son.
"Mommy!" Leo screamed, trying to kick his little legs toward her.
"I tossed the drive into the ocean on the way here," I bluffed loudly.
"You have no evidence, no money trail, and no reason to hurt my family anymore."
Marcus's face twisted into a mask of pure, unadulterated rage.
"You ruined everything!" he roared, raising his weapon to shoot me.
In that split second, Sarah didn't hesitate.
She lunged forward with unbelievable speed, tackling Marcus violently around his waist.
The sudden impact caused Marcus to drop his gun and lose his grip on my son.
Leo fell backward toward the freezing, dark water of the marina.
I dove off the wooden dock, stretching my arms out as far as humanly possible.
I caught Leo's small body in mid-air, wrapping him tightly in my arms before we crashed into the ocean.
The cold water swallowed us, but I kicked furiously toward the surface, holding my son above the waves.
When I broke the surface gasping for air, a loud gunshot echoed across the silent marina.
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I looked up and saw Sarah standing on the yacht, holding the smoking gun she had wrestled away from Marcus.
Marcus was lying perfectly still on the expensive wooden deck, a dark pool of blood spreading beneath him.
