Chapter 4 - Voices from the Grave
Ethan slammed me against the kitchen counter, the breath exploding from my lungs in a sharp gasp. His hand flew to my throat, choking off my air supply as he pressed his forearm into my windpipe.
"Give me that!" he snarled, his eyes bulging with panic as he saw the small black device clutched in my bound fingers.
"Drop it, Ethan!" Clara shrieked, her voice pitching up into a hysterical octave. She lunged forward, grabbing a heavy ceramic fruit bowl from the counter and smashing it onto the floor. "What is on that recorder? You told me everything was secure!"
"It's nothing! She's bluffing!" Ethan choked out, his fingers tightening around my throat. Dark spots began to dance across my vision. Ryan was screaming in the background, fighting against the stranger holding him.
My lungs burned. I knew I only had seconds before I passed out completely. With the last ounce of my strength, my thumb pressed down hard on the flashing play button of the recorder.
The kitchen fell dead silent, save for Ryan's sobs. Then, a voice filled the room, crystal clear and unmistakable.
(“We need to make sure the boy goes too, Julian. If the mother dies alone, the kid inherits everything. If they both go, the trust fund automatically reverts to my sole control as the surviving spouse and business beneficiary.”)
Ethan’s voice. Playing back in terrifying high definition.
Another voice answered immediately—Clara’s.
(“And the insurance payout on the life policies will cover the firm’s shortfall. Just make sure it looks like a botched robbery or food poisoning. I don't want any investigations into the accounts.”)
Clara froze. She stared at Ethan, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "That... that wasn't supposed to be recorded. That conversation was encrypted!"
"You fool!" Julian roared, shoving Ethan away from me. The sudden release of pressure sent me slumping against the counter, gasping desperately for air, coughing violently as oxygen rushed back into my starved lungs. "You said you destroyed all the backups of our planning sessions!"
"I thought I did!" Ethan yelled, panic finally cracking his polished exterior. He lunged at me again, but Julian intercepted him, throwing a vicious punch that caught Ethan squarely in the jaw.
"You brought us into this mess, and now we're all going away for life because you couldn't check a damn trash can!" Julian snarled, pulling a heavy metal wrench from his tool belt.
Before the brawl could escalate further, a piercing sound shattered the indoor chaos.
WEE-WOO. WEE-WOO.
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Bright red and blue lights flashed wildly through the living room windows, painting the walls in frantic strokes. A powerful megaphone crackled from outside the front porch.
"FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT! SURROUND THE HOUSE! PUT YOUR WEAPONS DOWN AND COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!"
