Chapter 10 - The Inheritance of Fire
The chaotic echoes of gunfire and shouting from the hospital hallway slowly faded into a tense, heavy silence as the emergency backup units finally flooded the upper floors.
Detective Hale returned to Room 402 a few minutes later, his face grim and dusted with plaster from the shattered doorframe.
"Vance slipped out through the fire escape into a waiting black SUV parked in the ambulance bay," Hale reported, holstering his weapon as he dragged a hand down his face. "All perimeter units have been notified, but he's got a massive head start."
Natalie lay back against her pillows, her chest heaving as the adrenaline finally began to drain from her system, leaving behind a profound, bone-deep exhaustion.
"He won't run far," Natalie whispered, her voice carrying a cold, steely resolve that surprised even her mother. "Daniel thinks he took the only copy of my father's ledger when he stole that evidence bag."
Detective Hale paused, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at the injured bride. "What are you talking about, Mrs. Vance? Where is the ledger?"
Natalie managed a weak, bitter smile, turning her head to look at Evelyn.
"Dad knew Daniel's family could never be trusted," Natalie said softly, reaching out to squeeze her mother's hand. "The day before our wedding, I didn't just burn a warning letter... I downloaded the entire encrypted master file from the safety deposit box onto a secure cloud server programmed to release public files directly to federal investigators the moment my heart monitor flatlines—or if I authorize the release manually."
Evelyn gasped, a mixture of profound shock and immense pride washing over her tired face.
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Detective Hale’s eyes widened as he pulled out his phone, tapping rapidly on the screen. "Mrs. Vance... tell me you have the authorization code right now."
Natalie looked toward the shattered doorway where Daniel had fled into the night, her voice dropping into a fierce, unwavering whisper.
