Chapter 8 - Cornered Beasts
The cheap motel room on Route 7 smelled of stale tobacco and old carpets.
Garrett sat on the edge of a stained mattress, pulling at his hair in absolute desperation. His designer clothes were crumpled, his beard was unkempt, and his eyes were wild with panic.
Across the room, Delilah was weeping dramatically into a thin paper towel. "We have nothing left, Garrett! Nothing! My bank cards are declined! The country club canceled my membership this afternoon! Everyone in town is talking about us!"
"Shut up, Mom!" Garrett screamed, slamming his fist against the cheap wooden nightstand. "I'm fixing it! I called Uncle Julian!"
"Julian?!" Delilah gasped, her face turning pale. "That man is dangerous, Garrett! He’s a loan shark! He’ll break your legs if you don't pay him!"
"Julian has the forged loan guarantee!" Garrett said, his voice high-pitched and hysterical. "Victoria’s name is on that document! Legally, as my wife, her company is liable for the three million dollars! If Julian enforces the debt, Victoria will be forced to settle out of court to protect Apex Logistics' stock price. She'll have to give me millions to make it go away!"
Just then, the heavy wooden door of the motel room rattled violently.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Garrett jumped up, his heart pounding in his throat. He slowly walked over to the door and looked through the peephole.
Standing in the dimly lit hallway was a tall, imposing man in a sharp black coat, flanked by two massive men in leather jackets. It was Julian Vance—Garrett’s ruthless uncle and the head of Vanguard Capital.
Garrett quickly unlocked the door and pulled it open. "Uncle Julian! Thank God you came—"
Before Garrett could finish, Julian stepped into the room, shoved Garrett hard in the chest, and sent him tumbling backward onto the floor. The two heavy enforcement men stepped in behind him, slamming the door shut and locking it.
"You idiot," Julian hissed, his voice like gravel scraping against iron. He tossed a copy of the morning newspaper onto the bed. "You complete and utter idiot."
Garrett scrambled up from the floor, clutching his chest. "Julian, listen to me! The plan is still working! Victoria has the money—"
"Victoria Sterling just frozen all offshore clearing accounts associated with Vance Innovations!" Julian roared, stepping close enough that Garrett could smell the expensive cigars on his breath. "She filed a fraud injunction with the Securities and Exchange Commission! My firm’s accounts are being audited right now because of your pathetic forged signature!"
Garrett backed away until his shoulders hit the wall. "No... no, she couldn't have... she didn't know about the Delaware entities!"
"She knew everything, you brainless fool!" Julian growled. "She let you dig your own grave for three years! She waited until you committed corporate fraud, and then she pulled the trigger!"
Delilah cowered in the corner, covering her face. "Julian, please! He's your nephew!"
Julian ignored her, pointing a thick, scarred finger directly at Garrett’s nose. "Listen to me very carefully, Garrett. Vanguard Capital is going down, but I am not going to federal prison alone. Tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM, there is an emergency hearing at the Connecticut Superior Court regarding the asset seizure and the fraud injunction."
Julian leaned in closer, his eyes cold and deadly. "You are going to walk into that courtroom, you are going to swear under oath that Victoria authorized those loans, and you are going to force her to pay every single dollar. If you fail... if you let her win... I will make sure you don't survive to see the inside of a prison cell. Do you understand me?!"
May you like
Garrett nodded frantically, tears of terror welling in his eyes. "I understand! I'll do it! I'll ruin her in court!"
"You better," Julian growled, turning on his heel and walking out of the room, leaving Garrett trembling on the floor in the dark.
