Chapter 13 - The Man in the Doorway
Clara froze, the cold muzzle of a pistol pressing gently against the base of her skull.
She didn't need to turn around to know who was holding it; she recognized the expensive aftershave instantly—the same scent David had worn every morning for the past ten years.
"David," she choked out, her hands trembling as Thomas spun around from the side window, his own weapon raised and pointed straight at his brother-in-law's chest.
"Drop it, Thomas," David said smoothly, his voice entirely devoid of the warmth she had known for a decade. "You were always a clumsy amateur when it came to federal security."
"You killed Marcus Thorne, you coward," Thomas spat, his finger tightening slightly on the trigger. "And you framed your own wife to take the fall."
"I didn't frame her; I protected her," David corrected calmly, shifting his grip on Clara without removing the gun from her neck. "Clara was the only person whose clean financial record could absorb fifty million in corporate restructuring without triggering an immediate IRS audit."
"You used me," Clara whispered, hot tears finally spilling over her lashes as she stared straight ahead into the dark woods. "Every anniversary, every vacation, every single day—was it all a lie?"
"Of course not," David replied, almost gently. "I loved you, Clara. But love doesn't pay fifty million dollars in offshore debts to men who clip fingers for a living."
Inside the cabin, the man in the grey t-shirt stepped out onto the front porch, holding a heavy leather briefcase stuffed with bearer bonds.
"We need to move, Vance," the man called out, checking his watch. "The state police picked up our transponder ten minutes ago."
David nodded, keeping his weapon leveled at Thomas while backing slowly toward the waiting SUV parked behind the cabin.
"It's been real, Clara," David said softly, his eyes lingering on her face for a fraction of a second. "Don't look for me. You won't find me."
With a sudden, violent shove, David pushed Clara hard against Thomas, sending both siblings stumbling onto the frozen grass.
May you like
By the time Thomas regained his balance and fired two warning shots into the air, the black SUV had already torn down the gravel drive, disappearing into the dark forest.
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