Chapter 7 - The Reckoning in the Dark
The jar shattered against Carlos’s collarbone, spraying him with shards of glass and the acidic biological fluid. He cried out in pain and anger, shielding his eyes.
At that exact second, the sound of screeching tires echoed through the garage. Three black federal tactical vehicles roared down the ramps, their high beams blinding the darkness.
"Federal agents! Drop your weapons!" a voice boomed over a megaphone.
Carlos’s mercenaries tried to raise their weapons, but they were instantly outmatched. Snipers from the federal vehicles fired, neutralizing the men in seconds.
Carlos, realizing he was trapped, lunged toward me, his fingers clawing for my throat. But Detective Vance, who had descended via the stairs, tackled Carlos to the concrete floor. The gun slid away, clattering into a drain.
"It's over, Carlos," Vance growled, pinning him down and ratcheting heavy steel cuffs around his wrists. "You’re going away for a very, very long time."
Carlos didn't look at the detective. He looked at me, his eyes filled with a venomous, pathetic hatred. "You're nothing without me, Elena! You have no money, no home, nothing! I will make sure you starve!"
I walked over to him, standing tall, looking down at the man who had terrified me for ten years. For the first time in my life, I felt absolutely no fear.
"I have my son," I said, my voice steady, ringing with an undeniable power. "And that means I have everything."
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I turned my back on him, refusing to give him another second of my life, and ran back to the gurney where Dr. Evans was holding Daniel’s hand.
"He's safe, Elena," Dr. Evans said, a warm, exhausted smile spreading across his face. "The nightmare is over."
