Chapter 6 - The Trap Closes
Richard Cole looked through the thick, bulletproof glass, a cold, triumphant smile spreading across his aged, elegant face. Beside him, bank manager Henderson stood with a gun pressed against his ribs by one of the mercenaries.
"I must admit, Nathaniel," Richard's voice came through the vault's intercom, crackling with static. "You always were persistent. Just like your father. Thomas never knew when to walk away from a lost cause either."
Nathaniel stepped in front of Claire and Lucy, shielding them from view. "It’s over, Richard. We have the complete ledgers, the recorded phone calls, and the chemical signatures. Federal prosecutors already have the transmission."
Richard chuckled, a dry, hollow sound. "Do you really think a few digital files matter if no one is alive to present them in court? You made a fatal mistake coming here, nephew. This vault is blast-proof, air-tight, and isolated from external communications. Once I cycle the atmospheric pressure, you, your little maid, and her deaf bastard will quietly run out of oxygen."
Claire gasped, pulling Lucy tightly against her chest. Lucy hugged her mother, her little hands moving quickly in signs:
Bad man. Glass wall.
Nathaniel kept his eyes locked on his uncle, his expression unflinching. "You murdered my parents. You murdered Arthur Vance. And you used your own son, Grant, as a disposable pawn."
Richard scoffed dismissively. "Grant is an idiot who failed his only simple assignment tonight—putting a few drops of cardiac glycoside into your glass. I had to clean up his mess. Once you are dead, I will execute Protocol Delta, liquidate Cole Meridian's assets, and blame the entire tragedy on a rogue security plot orchestrated by Claire Vance."
"You won't get away with this," Claire shouted through the intercom speaker, her voice echoing off the vault walls. "My father documented everything! My cousin Marcus knows!"
"Marcus Vance won't receive anything," Richard sneered. "My men intercepted his vehicle ten minutes ago. Now, enjoy your last few breaths."
Richard reached toward the vault control panel on the wall, preparing to initiate the atmospheric purge.
Suddenly, the lights inside the outer corridor flickered and died, plunging Richard and his men into pitch darkness.
A split second later, the heavy explosion of flashbang grenades shattered the silence outside the vault. Heavy tactical gunfire erupted in the darkness, accompanied by shouts and the sound of breaking bone.
Richard gasped in shock as his mercenaries were thrown into chaotic confusion. Through the smoky gloom of the corridor, tactical units in black armor with laser sights swept through, neutralizing the mercenaries with surgical precision.
Leading the strike force was Daniel, alongside a stern-looking man in an FBI tactical vest—Federal Prosecutor Marcus Vance.
"FBI! Drop your weapons!" Marcus's voice boomed through the corridor.
May you like
Richard panicked, dropping his gun and throwing his hands into the air as tactical officers pinned him against the marble wall, slamming his face into the cold tile.
"Richard Cole," Marcus Vance announced coldly, snapping heavy steel handcuffs around the billionaire's wrists. "You are under arrest for treason, corporate espionage, extortion, and the triple homicide of Thomas Cole, Eleanor Cole, and Arthur Vance."
