Chapter 6 - The Airport Intercept
My car tore through the chain-link perimeter fence of the private airfield like a battering ram. Sparks flew as the metal gave way, the alarm sirens instantly wailing across the tarmac.
Arthur’s security guards drew their weapons, pointing them at my approaching vehicle. I slammed on the brakes, the car skidding sideways and coming to a violent halt just thirty feet from the Gulfstream.
I kicked the door open and stepped out.
"Liam!" Camila screamed from the ground.
"Who the hell is this?" Vance shouted, backing away behind a bodyguard.
Arthur Montgomery sneered, adjusting his tailored suit. "Shoot him. He’s trespassing on private property."
Three guards raised their guns, the red laser sights dancing across my chest. I didn't flinch. I raised my hands, keeping my eyes locked on the man who had stolen my family.
"Shoot me, Arthur, and the dead-man’s switch on my server activates," I lied smoothly, my voice booming over the jet engines. "Every news outlet in the country gets the full, unredacted files of your offshore accounts, your bribery ledgers, and Vance’s illegal campaign funds."
Arthur froze. The supreme arrogance on his face faltered for the first time. "You’re bluffing."
"Am I?" I challenged, taking a step forward. The guards tensed, but Arthur raised a hand to stop them. "Ask your daughter. Ask her what she downloaded from your biometric safe on Wednesday night."
Arthur looked down at Camila, who was kneeling on the asphalt, blood dripping from her lip, but smiling a defiant, triumphant smile.
"You stupid girl," Arthur hissed, raising his hand to strike her again.
"Touch her again, and I won't wait for the FBI to ruin you!" I roared.
Right on cue, the wail of federal sirens pierced the heavy Seattle air. A dozen black, unmarked government SUVs flooded the tarmac, completely surrounding Arthur’s convoy. Doors flew open, and heavily armed federal agents swarmed the area.
"FBI! Drop your weapons! Drop them now!" Agent Torres commanded over a megaphone.
Arthur’s security detail, realizing they were outgunned by federal authorities, immediately lowered their weapons and placed their hands on their heads.
Vance Sterling panicked. He turned and tried to sprint up the stairs of the private jet to escape, but an FBI agent tackled him halfway up, slamming him face-first onto the metal steps. The sound of handcuffs clicking into place was the most beautiful music I had ever heard.
Arthur Montgomery didn't run. He stood rigidly as Agent Torres approached him, flashing her badge.
"Arthur Montgomery, you are under arrest for federal racketeering, wire fraud, extortion, and bribery," Torres announced, violently turning him around and slapping the cuffs on his wrists.
Arthur glared at me over his shoulder, his eyes filled with venom. "You think you’ve won? You are a nobody! I will destroy you from a cell!"
I walked right up to him, close enough to see the broken veins in his nose. "You are the nobody now, Arthur. Enjoy the cage you built for yourself."
As the agents hauled him away, I turned.
Camila was on her knees, her arms wrapped tightly around the triplets. I dropped to the asphalt beside them, pulling all four of them into a desperate, crushing embrace.
"You came," Regina cried, burying her face in my neck.
May you like
"I told you," I whispered, tears finally breaking free and streaming down my face. "I promised I wasn't going anywhere."
Camila looked at me, her dark eyes shining with tears of absolute relief. She reached out, her fingers tracing the faded tattoo on my forearm, before pulling me in for a kiss that tasted like rain, salt, and absolute freedom.
