Chapter 7 - The Ticking Clock
The detonator rested precariously on the edge of the burning embers in the fireplace.
If the plastic casing melted and closed the electrical circuit, the entire house would explode.
I wrestled fiercely with Vanessa on the floor, trying to pin her arms down.
She was incredibly strong, driven by pure greed and decades of deep resentment.
She clawed at my face and managed to strike me hard across the jaw.
I tumbled backward, my vision blurring as a sharp pain exploded in my head.
"Harper, get the detonator right now!" I screamed, struggling to get back on my feet.
Harper lunged toward the fireplace, ignoring the blistering heat radiating from the flames.
Vanessa scrambled aggressively toward her, grabbing a heavy glass vase from a side table.
She raised the vase high, preparing to smash it directly onto my daughter's head.
Suddenly, a loud gunshot echoed through the smoke-filled room.
Vanessa froze completely, dropping the heavy vase as it shattered harmlessly onto the rug.
She slowly looked down at the rapidly expanding red stain on her expensive silk blouse.
She collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air as shock overtook her fierce features.
I turned around in utter disbelief to see who had fired the life-saving shot.
Leo was leaning heavily against the doorframe, holding the black handgun with shaking hands.
He had just shot his own mother to protect my daughter.
Harper reached into the hot ashes and successfully pulled the detonator away from the flames.
We all stood in absolute silence, listening to Vanessa's shallow, ragged breathing.
"We have to call an ambulance for her," I said, my maternal instincts kicking in despite everything.
Leo shook his head slowly, pointing the gun weakly toward the shattered window.
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"It doesn't matter, because the cartel is already here," Leo whispered in total despair.
Three black SUVs with tinted windows were rolling silently onto our front lawn.
