Chapter 8 - THE CRUMBLING EMPIRE
The gunshot was deafening, a roaring thunderclap that shattered the enormous glass panels of the departure board.
The heavy slug caught Silas directly in the shoulder, spinning the younger man violently before he crashed to the marble floor in a heap of tailored wool and shattered ego.
The three heavily armed guards panicked, turning their weapons toward Vincent. But Emily didn't wait.
She swung the heavy duffel bag full of cash with all her might, slamming the metal zipper directly into the face of the guard standing next to her. The man stumbled backward, his gun firing blindly into the ceiling, raining plaster down on them.
Vincent didn't hesitate. Despite the massive blood loss, he moved with the terrifying speed of a seasoned predator. He fired twice more. Two guards dropped instantly, screaming in pain, their weapons clattering away across the floor.
The terminal fell into a ringing, heavy silence, broken only by the groans of the wounded men on the ground.
Vincent staggered forward, dropping to one knee. His breathing was wet and ragged.
Emily dropped the duffel bag and ran to him, catching his broad shoulders before he could collapse completely.
"You're alive," she breathed, tears finally spilling hot and fast down her cheeks.
"Too stubborn to die," Vincent coughed, offering a grim, bloodstained smile. "Where is your mother?"
"In the van," Emily said frantically. "Outside."
Vincent nodded, using Emily's shoulder to haul himself back to his feet. He limped over to where Silas was writhing on the floor, clutching his shattered shoulder.
Vincent looked down at the man who had tried to steal his throne. He didn't look angry. He looked exhausted.
"It's over, Silas," Vincent said quietly.
"You're dead, old man," Silas hissed, spitting blood onto the marble. "You have nothing left. The families won't follow you now. You're weak."
"I know," Vincent said, pulling a small audio recorder from his pocket. The red light was blinking steadily. It had been recording everything since he walked out of the shadows. Silas's confession of kidnapping, extortion, and attempted murder.
Vincent tossed the recorder onto Silas's chest. "But I don't need them to follow me anymore. I'm resigning."
Sirens wailed in the distance, cutting through the cold night air. The police were seconds away.
Vincent turned to Emily. He reached out, taking her hands in his bloody ones. He looked down at the copper bead on her wrist one last time.
"Take the duffel bag," Vincent ordered softly. "Take the ledger. Go to the FBI field office in the morning. Give them the book. It buys you full immunity, and it destroys everything Silas built."
"What about you?" Emily asked, her grip tightening on his hands. "They'll lock you away forever."
"That's exactly where I belong," Vincent smiled, a true, peaceful smile that finally reached his amber eyes. "I couldn't save Thomas. But I saved you. Tell Nellie... tell her I finally kept my promise."
The massive glass doors of the terminal burst open. Red and blue lights flooded the cavernous room as a dozen heavily armed police officers poured in.
"Drop the weapon!" an officer screamed.
May you like
Vincent slowly, deliberately, lowered his gun to the floor and raised his hands above his head. He looked over his shoulder at Emily, offering her one final, subtle nod.
The king was surrendering. And for the first time in his life, he had truly won.
