Chapter 8 - The Terminal Standoff
The airport terminal was crowded, a sea of travelers dragging luggage.
I scanned the departure gates, my scarred skin drawing stares that I no longer cared about.
Gate B12. Denver.
I saw them standing near the priority boarding line.
Ryan looked bruised, holding an ice pack to his jaw. Vanessa stood beside him, looking impeccably dressed and intensely annoyed.
"Ryan!" I shouted.
Several heads turned. Ryan froze, his eyes widening in horror as I approached.
"Are you crazy?" Vanessa hissed, stepping in front of him. "Security will throw you out."
"Let them," I said. "I've got a copy of the hard drive, Vanessa."
All the color drained from her perfectly made-up face.
"You're lying," she whispered.
"I heard the recording. I heard you knock him out and pour the gasoline."
I turned to Ryan. "You're really going to get on a plane with the woman who left you to burn?"
Ryan looked trapped, his eyes darting between me and the gate agents.
"Emily, please. Just let us go. I'll send you money. You'll be taken care of for life."
"I don't want your stolen money," I spat. "I want my life back. The one you destroyed."
Vanessa's hand slipped into her designer handbag.
"You're making a mistake, you scarred freak," she sneered.
"Vanessa, stop," Ryan said, grabbing her arm.
"Let go of me! She's bluffing. If she had the drive, the cops would be here."
"They are," a deep voice announced.
May you like
Detective Larson, accompanied by two uniformed officers, stepped out from the crowd behind me.
"Ryan Davis, Vanessa Pierce," Larson said, pulling out a pair of handcuffs. "You're both under arrest for grand larceny, insurance fraud, and arson."
