Chapter 6 - The Arrest and The Fall
Felix Thorne was not a smart criminal; he was an arrogant one. And arrogant criminals always make one final, fatal mistake.
The call from Agent Vance came at 2:00 AM on a Friday.
"Dylan. Your father just tried to charter a private flight to a non-extradition country in South America using a shell company credit card he thought we missed. We’re moving in on the airfield now. Thought you might want a front-row seat."
I didn't hesitate. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."
Centennial Airport was quiet in the dead of night, the tarmac illuminated by harsh yellow floodlights. I pulled my truck up to the perimeter fence just as a convoy of black SUVs descended onto the runway.
Felix was standing at the base of a small Learjet, yelling at the pilot, clutching a leather duffel bag to his chest. He looked frantic, looking over his shoulder like a hunted animal.
When the federal agents swarmed out of the SUVs, weapons drawn, Felix froze. The duffel bag slipped from his hands, unzipping on the asphalt. Bundles of cash—stolen from Vanguard’s emergency reserves—spilled out into the wind.
I stepped out of my truck and walked slowly onto the tarmac, standing just behind Agent Vance.
"Felix Thorne," Vance announced loudly over the wind. "You are under arrest for federal wire fraud, embezzlement, conspiracy to commit fraud, and felony violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Put your hands behind your back."
Felix looked around wildly, his eyes finally landing on me. For a moment, the old bravado flared up.
"You did this!" Felix screamed, spit flying from his lips as two agents grabbed his arms and slammed him against the side of the plane. "I am your father! You owe me everything! You’ll run the company into the ground!"
I walked up to him until we were face-to-face. The cold steel handcuffs clicked loudly around his wrists.
"I don't owe you a damn thing," I said quietly, so only he could hear. "You tried to take my life, my wife, and my daughter. You will rot in a federal cell, Felix. And Vanguard will thrive because it finally cut out its cancer."
"Eudora!" Felix yelled desperately as they dragged him away. "Tell them it was Eudora’s idea! She forced me!"
"Don't worry," Agent Vance said, putting away his handcuffs. "Local PD just kicked the door in at the motel. Your wife is being arrested for conspiracy as we speak. You can argue about whose fault it is in federal court."
May you like
I stood on the tarmac, watching the flashing red and blue lights of the SUVs drive away into the night. The harsh, freezing wind whipped around me, but for the first time since I stepped off that plane from overseas, I didn't feel cold.
The war was finally over. The real one, anyway.
