Chapter 6 - Checkmate
Ethan launched himself forward with the brutal force of a man protecting his bloodline. He slammed into Richard, driving his shoulder into the man’s solar plexus. The gun went off with a muffled phut, the bullet shattering the window behind them, missing Ethan by inches.
They crashed into the hallway. Richard was younger and desperate, throwing wild punches that connected with Ethan’s jaw. But Ethan was fueled by years of pent-up anger, grief for Sarah, and the primal instinct of a father.
Ethan pinned Richard to the ground, delivering a devastating blow to his face that knocked the gun out of his hand. Before Richard could recover, Ethan twisted his arm behind his back, pressing his knee into Richard’s spine with bone-crushing pressure.
“This,” Ethan snarled, his voice vibrating with rage, “is for Sarah. And this is for making my daughter walk through a storm without shoes.”
The elevator pinged. The doors slid open, and a swarm of FBI agents, led by Ethan’s legal team, flooded the hallway with their weapons drawn.
“Stand down, Mr. Cole! We have him!” an agent shouted.
Ethan slowly released his grip, stepping back, chest heaving. He watched as the agents pulled a bleeding, defeated Richard to his feet and slapped heavy iron cuffs onto his wrists.
Harvey, the lawyer, walked up to Ethan, handing him a handkerchief for his bleeding lip. “Vanguard’s board is in custody. The police found Sarah. She’s... Ethan, I’m sorry. She didn't make it.”
Ethan closed his eyes. The pain of losing Sarah forever was a heavy, cold stone in his chest. But then he heard a small, tentative voice from the doorway.
“Ethan?”
Maya stood there, trembling, looking at the broken glass and the police.
May you like
Ethan dropped to his knees, not caring about the blood or the dirt. He opened his arms, and Maya ran into them, burying her face in his shoulder. She cried, letting out all the terror of the past twenty-four hours. Ethan held her fiercely, burying his face in her hair.
“I’ve got you,” Ethan whispered, tears finally falling from his eyes. “I’m here. Daddy’s here. I will never let anything hurt you or Lily ever again.”
