Chapter 6 - The Trap
Two days later.
The atmosphere inside the federal courthouse in downtown San Diego was suffocatingly tense.
Ava sat beside Marcus Sterling in a private conference room on the fifth floor. On the table lay the decrypted files from Logan’s flash drive, alongside financial ledgers provided by federal forensic accountants.
The door opened, and two agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation walked in, accompanied by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Jenkins.
"Mrs. Morgan," prosecutor Jenkins said, sitting across from her. "We have reviewed the files you provided. The evidence against Julian Vance and Evelyn Pierce is absolute. This constitutes one of the largest corporate money-laundering schemes in Southern California history."
"When will the arrest warrants be issued?" Marcus asked.
"The grand jury is signing the indictments right now," Jenkins replied. "Federal marshals are currently en route to Vance's estate in Rancho Santa Fe, and another team is picking up Evelyn Pierce at her hotel."
Relief washed over Ava like a warm wave. "It's over."
"Not quite," Jenkins warned, her face solemn. "Julian Vance’s security team is heavily armed. He has a private jet on standby at Palomar Airport. If he realizes the indictments have been signed, he might try to flee the country."
Suddenly, Ava’s personal phone buzzed violently on the table.
It was a video call from an unknown encrypted line.
Ava’s stomach dropped. She looked at Marcus, then pressed accept, setting the phone on the table.
The screen flickered to life.
Julian Vance’s face appeared on the display. He was sitting inside the luxurious leather interior of a moving SUV.
"Hello, Ava," Vance said, his voice sickeningly calm. "I see you decided to play hero and hand my financial records to the feds."
"It's over, Vance," Ava stated firmly. "Federal marshals are on their way to your estate."
Vance chuckled—a low, terrifying sound that made the hair on Ava’s arms stand up.
"My estate is empty, my dear," Vance purred. "And as for my plans... I always have a contingency."
Vance tilted the camera slightly toward the seat beside him.
Ava’s heart stopped. The blood drained from her face so fast the room seemed to spin.
Sitting on the back seat of the SUV, bound by a seatbelt, was Leo.
Beside him sat Evelyn Pierce, looking manic and terrified, holding the boy's arm tightly. Leo looked scared, his wide heterochromatic eyes staring directly into the camera, but he wasn't crying.
"Mom!" Leo shouted through the phone. "Mom!"
"LEO!" Ava screamed, slamming her hands on the table as she stood up. "Vance, you bastard! If you lay a single finger on my son, I will kill you myself!"
"Calm down, Ava," Vance said smoothly. "Evelyn was useful enough to pick up the boy from his private school twenty minutes ago using her fake grandmother credentials before your security realized what was happening."
"Evelyn, you monster!" Ava shrieked at the screen. "He is your grandson!"
"He is a bastard who destroyed my life!" Evelyn spat into the camera, her eyes wild with madness. "He ruined everything!"
"Here are my terms, Ava," Vance interrupted, his voice dropping into razor-sharp seriousness. "You tell the U.S. Attorney to quash the indictments and unfreeze my primary offshore account. You come alone to Pier 32 at the Port of San Diego in thirty minutes. You bring the original flash drive and sign over the Pierce trust voting rights. If I see a single police car, a single drone, or a single federal agent... your son goes into Lake Michigan in a concrete coat."
"Vance, wait—"
The call disconnected.
Ava collapsed back into her chair, gasping for air, her world shattering into pure, terrifying chaos.
"Track that call!" Prosecutor Jenkins yelled to the FBI agents, who were already barking orders into their radios. "Deploy tactical units to Pier 32 immediately!"
"No police!" Ava screamed, grabbing Jenkins’ arm, her eyes wild with maternal desperation. "You heard him! If he sees police, he’ll kill my boy!"
Marcus held Ava’s shoulders, grounding her. "Ava, listen to me! We can't let you go there alone! Vance is a killer!"
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Ava looked at Marcus, her tears flowing freely, but deep within her eyes, a dangerous, terrifying fire ignited.
"I went through hell to bring that boy into this world," Ava whispered, her voice trembling with lethal intensity. "Nobody takes him from me. Nobody."
