Chapter 5 - The Trap
The harsh glare of the spotlight blinded us, forcing us to shield our eyes as Diane's voice boomed from the catwalk.
"Did you really think a pathetic contractor could bring down my empire?" Diane sneered, her silhouette barely visible behind the blinding light.
Two massive men stepped out from the shadows on the ground floor, holding heavy steel crowbars.
They were local thugs, clearly hired to ensure Marcus never spoke to anyone again.
"Diane, you have crossed a line you cannot come back from!" Pastor Javier shouted, stepping protectively in front of David and me.
"Oh, Javier, I drew the line," Diane mocked, pacing along the metal grating above us.
"And tonight, the three of you are going to meet with a very tragic, accidental end in this condemned building."
Marcus panicked, backing away toward the rear loading dock doors.
"I told you she was crazy!" Marcus yelled, turning to run.
One of the thugs moved with terrifying speed, blocking Marcus's path and shoving him violently to the ground.
"Nobody leaves," the thug growled, slapping the crowbar against his open palm.
I pulled my cell phone from my pocket, desperately trying to dial 911, but the screen displayed no signal.
Diane had intentionally chosen a warehouse in a massive dead zone.
"Take the documents from the accountant and tie them up," Diane ordered her men from the catwalk.
David clutched the manila folder tightly to his chest, refusing to hand over the evidence.
"If you hurt us, the entire congregation will know you are a murderer!" David yelled bravely.
Diane laughed, a cold, unhinged sound that echoed terribly in the empty warehouse.
"The congregation will believe whatever I tell them," she boasted arrogantly.
"They will believe that the disgruntled daughter-in-law conspired with a fired contractor to steal church funds, and things simply got out of hand."
The two thugs advanced on us, their faces twisted into menacing smiles.
I looked frantically around the room, searching for any possible weapon or escape route.
My eyes locked onto a heavy, red fire alarm pull station mounted on the concrete wall just a few feet away.
It was an old, industrial system, likely hardwired directly to the city's central fire dispatch.
"Pastor, when I move, run for the door!" I whispered fiercely.
I didn't wait for his response.
I grabbed a handful of loose gravel from the floor and threw it directly into the face of the nearest thug.
He roared in pain, dropping his crowbar and clawing at his eyes.
I lunged toward the wall, grabbing the metal handle of the fire alarm and pulling it down with all my strength.
A deafening, ear-piercing siren immediately erupted throughout the warehouse, accompanied by flashing strobe lights.
Diane screamed in fury from the catwalk, her hands covering her ears.
"Stop them!" she yelled, pointing furiously at me.
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The second thug charged at me, raising his heavy steel crowbar high into the air.
Before he could bring it down on my head, the warehouse doors burst open with explosive force, tearing the metal hinges completely off the wall.
