Chapter 8 - The Roots of the Syndicate
Before Daniel could answer, the sharp, rhythmic crack of a silenced pistol echoed from down the hallway, shattering the fluorescent light fixtures just outside Room 402.
Glass rained down the corridor like glittering diamonds as security alarms began to shriek in a deafening, continuous wail.
Detective Hale didn't hesitate; keeping his gun trained on Daniel with his peripheral vision, he kicked the heavy hospital door shut with his boot and locked the internal deadbolt.
"Move away from the bed, Vance, or I will put you down right where you stand," Hale commanded, his voice hardened by years on the homicide squad.
Daniel slowly took two steps backward, his hands raised, but his eyes remained locked on Natalie with a chilling, predatory amusement.
"You think arresting me saves you, Detective?" Daniel mocked softly, his voice cutting cleanly through the shrieking alarms. "Vance Enterprises isn't just a real estate firm. It's the clean face of an international logistics network that has laundered money for politicians, cartels, and corporate raiders for three decades."
Natalie clutched her side, the pain screaming through her abdomen, but adrenaline kept her fully conscious.
"And my father?" Natalie demanded, her voice shaking with rage and grief. "Did your father order his murder?"
Daniel tilted his head slightly, a dark, sardonic smile playing on his lips. "Your father didn't just want out, Natalie. He tried to cut a deal with the federal prosecutors to hand over the master encryption keys to our offshore accounts in exchange for immunity."
Evelyn stepped forward, her eyes blazing with a mother's fury. "So you hunted him down, staged his heart attack, and when I spent the last eight years quietly gathering the pieces to destroy your empire, you decided to silence me too."
"We didn't want to kill you, Evelyn," Daniel replied smoothly, as if discussing a mundane business merger. "We just wanted you to stay quiet. But you insisted on handing your foolish warning letters to Natalie, trying to break up a perfectly profitable marriage."
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Detective Hale took a step closer, his finger resting lightly on the trigger guard. "Profitable? You married her just to keep tabs on the Brooks estate and ensure her father's hidden ledger stayed buried."
"Marriage is the ultimate non-disclosure agreement, Detective," Daniel said, his eyes shifting back to Natalie. "Too bad my hired gun missed the vital organs at the wedding. But accidents happen in hospitals every day."
