Chapter 6 - The Confrontation in the Orchard
Morgan didn't hide. Instead, she turned off all the indoor lights, walked out through the back screen door, and stepped calmly onto the wooden porch, letting the cool night air hit her face.
She stood illuminated by the faint moonlight filtering through the branches.
“I know you’re out there, Julian,” Morgan’s voice cut clearly through the quiet night. “You can stop creeping around the apple trees.”
A rustle of leaves sounded from the edge of the orchard, and then Julian stepped into the open. He wasn't wearing his nice button-down shirt anymore. He wore dark tactical gear, his face twisted into an expression of unhinged fury. In his hand, he held a heavy hunting knife.
“You should have just stayed in Chicago, Morgan,” Julian sneered, taking slow, deliberate steps toward the porch. “You just had to make everything so difficult.”
“You were going to kill me for money, Julian. Everything we built—every bill I paid while you failed—meant nothing to you.”
“Money? Money is just a scoreboard, Morgan!” Julian laughed darkly, stepping up onto the bottom step of the porch. “And I’m done losing. That cottage is worth half a million dollars, and your life insurance policy is worth two million. With you gone, I win.”
“You’re not getting either,” Morgan said calmly, holding her ground.
“Who’s going to stop you? The police are two hours away in this sleepy town. No one is coming to save you.”
“Are you sure about that?” Morgan asked, a faint smile touching her lips.
Suddenly, the entire orchard erupted in brilliant, blinding white light. High-powered floodlights mounted in the trees snapped on simultaneously, turning the night into day.
From behind the trees, four armed federal agents and local sheriff deputies stepped forward, their weapons drawn and trained directly on Julian.
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“Julian Vance! Drop the weapon! Federal marshals! Hands where we can see them!” Marcus’s voice boomed through the clearing.
Julian froze, his face draining of all color. He looked wildly around, realizing he was completely surrounded. In a desperate surge of panic, he lunged toward Morgan with the knife raised.
