Chapter 5 - The Mother's Choice
I slowly stepped out from the shadows of the hallway, keeping my weapon lowered but firmly gripped in my hand.
Ethan chuckled, taking another slow sip of his expensive whiskey as if he were watching a moderately entertaining theatrical play.
Martha kept the heavy silver revolver aimed squarely at my chest, her hands surprisingly steady for a woman supposedly being held hostage.
"I don't understand, Martha," I said, trying to process the incredibly twisted scene unfolding before me.
"He threatened to kill you, and you are protecting him?" I asked, genuine confusion lacing my words.
Martha let out a cold, bitter laugh that sounded exactly like the cruel taunts her husband frequently delivered.
"Ethan didn't kidnap me, Liam," she confessed, her eyes completely devoid of any remorse.
"I made the call to you because I needed to bring my ungrateful daughter back to return what she stole."
A sickening wave of profound disgust washed over me as the horrifying reality fully set in.
Martha had not just turned a blind eye to the horrific abuse Audrey suffered for years.
She was an active, willing participant in Ethan's criminal empire, fully prioritizing his massive wealth over her own child's soul.
"You are a monster," I whispered, feeling a deep, burning rage ignite within my chest.
"I am a realist," Martha countered coldly.
"Audrey was perfectly fine until you came along and convinced her she was a victim."
Before I could verbally tear her delusion apart, the heavy wooden front doors of the lodge burst violently open.
Three heavily armed mercenaries stormed into the living room, leveling military-grade assault rifles directly at my head.
Ethan finally stood up, buttoning his expensive suit jacket with an arrogant, victorious smirk.
"You really thought you could outsmart a man who literally buys federal judges for breakfast?" Ethan sneered.
"Take the laptop from him, and then take him out to the woods and put a bullet in his skull," he ordered the mercenaries.
The largest guard stepped forward, aggressively snatching my tactical bag from my shoulder.
Just as the guard unzipped the bag to retrieve the computer, a massive, deafening explosion shattered the massive glass windows of the lodge.
Thick, blinding white smoke rapidly filled the expansive living room, sending the mercenaries into a state of chaotic panic.
Audrey had completely ignored my orders to stay hidden in the woods.
She had found Ethan's private supply of industrial dynamite in the toolshed and hurled a lit bundle directly onto the front porch.
In the chaotic, blinding smoke, I lunged forward and viciously struck the nearest mercenary with the butt of my pistol.
I grabbed Martha by her expensive silk blouse and forcefully shoved her directly into Ethan, knocking them both to the floor.
I sprinted toward the shattered window, diving headfirst into the freezing night air just as automatic gunfire completely shredded the spot where I had just been standing.
"Run!" I shouted to Audrey, who was already waiting for me at the edge of the dark tree line.
We sprinted blindly into the dark forest, but a sharp, agonizing scream pierced the chaotic night behind us.
May you like
I looked back and saw Martha crawling out of the smoke, clutching a massive, bleeding gunshot wound on her shoulder.
Ethan stood behind her, calmly lowering his own smoking weapon before pointing it directly into the dark woods where we were hiding.
