Chapter 9 - Cold Steel on Tarmac
The sudden crash of the perimeter fence sent the loading crew into a frenzy. Victoria Vance paused on the fourth step of the aircraft stairs, her immaculate hair ruined by the gusting wind, her eyes widening in disbelief as the high-beam headlights of Julian’s SUV bore down on them.
""Move! Get on the plane!"" Arthur Vance yelled, shoving Victoria up toward the open cabin door. He drew a silver revolver from his trench coat, leveling it at the oncoming vehicle.
Julian slammed on the brakes, sending the heavy SUV into a controlled sideways slide that effectively blocked the jet’s nose wheel, cutting off any chance of taxiing. The tires smoked against the wet asphalt as the SUV came to a halt twenty yards away.
Julian kicked his door open and stepped into the gale-force rain, completely unarmed.
""Julian!"" Victoria screamed over the roar of the jet engines, clinging to the chrome railing of the airstair. ""Have you lost your mind? You are destroying this family!""
""This family died four years ago, Victoria!"" Julian shouted back, his voice cutting through the mechanical whine of the turbines. ""The moment you set that boat on fire to steal Evelyn’s voting shares, you stopped being my mother!""
Arthur Vance stepped down two stairs, his revolver pointed directly at Julian’s chest. His aristocratic face was twisted into an ugly, desperate snarl. ""She was a commoner, Julian! She was going to dissolve the foundation and give our family’s wealth to charities! She was going to ruin everything our grandfather built!""
""And what about Lily?"" Julian walked forward, ignoring the gun aimed at his heart. Each step was deliberate, heavy, and unstoppable. ""She was an infant! Your own blood!""
""She was a liability!"" Arthur shrieked, his finger tightening on the trigger. ""And so are you!""
A single shot cracked through the storm.
Julian didn't flinch, but Arthur let out a wet, choked gasp. The older man dropped his revolver, his hands flying to his shoulder where a crimson stain bloomed through his beige coat. Behind the open tailgate of the SUV, Marcus lowered his tactical rifle, the barrel smoking faintly in the damp air.
Arthur tumbled down the metal stairs, hitting the tarmac with a sickening thud, the aluminum briefcase breaking open on impact to scatter hundreds of bearer bonds and forged custody documents across the puddle-filled runway.
May you like
Victoria backed up into the plane's doorway, her face pale as a corpse. ""Julian... please... I am your mother...""
Before Julian could climb the stairs, a low, mechanical growl echoed from the dark perimeter behind the hangars. A massive, unmarked freight truck was barreling onto the runway at full speed, heading straight for the idling jet—and Julian's parked SUV, where Lily was still trapped inside.
