Chapter 7 - The True Face of the Monster
I threw Julian's arm over my shoulder, supporting his weight as we staggered out of the cell and down the corridor. Every step seemed to take a monumental effort for him.
"We have to hurry," I urged. "We need to reach the service elevator before—"
DING.
The sound of the elevator arriving echoed through the basement. The doors slid open.
Mary-Ann Hodges stepped out.
She had removed her diamond mask. Without it, the illusion of Victoria Sterling slipped away, revealing the cold, calculating eyes of a grifter who had killed to get what she wanted. Standing behind her was the massive man in the black suit who had kicked down my apartment door.
"Well, well," Mary-Ann said, her voice dripping with venom. She smoothed the skirt of her red gown. "I have to admit, Sarah. I underestimated the desperate ex-wife. I thought my men would have dumped your body in the Pacific by now."
I raised the handgun, pointing it directly at her chest. My hands were shaking, but my grip was firm. "Let us go. Or I swear to God, I'll shoot."
Mary-Ann laughed, a chilling, hollow sound. "You're a kindergarten teacher, Sarah. You don't have it in you. But my head of security here? He's a professional."
The man behind her drew his weapon with terrifying speed.
"Drop the gun," Mary-Ann ordered. "Or he shoots Julian in the kneecaps. Then you. And then I will personally drive out to the woods and find my darling step-daughter."
At the mention of Lily, Julian suddenly surged forward. A primal surge of adrenaline seemed to clear the fog from his mind. "Don't you touch her!" he screamed.
He threw his frail body directly at the security guard. The sudden movement caught the massive man off guard. The guard's gun went off, the bullet sparking against the concrete ceiling, just as Julian crashed into him, sending them both tumbling to the floor.
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"Shoot her, Sarah!" Julian roared, wrestling desperately with the guard.
Mary-Ann lunged at me, her manicured hands curled into claws.
