Chapter 7 - The Counter-Trap
“Victor,” I said, my voice dropping an octave into a calm, icy register. “You’re playing a dangerous game. Your co-conspirators are already in federal custody.”
“Amateurs,” Victor scoffed lightly on the other end of the line. “Amanda and Marcus were too greedy. They rushed the timeline. But me? I’ve been patient. And unlike them, I hold the master key to your father’s original trust covenant. Unless you meet me tonight at the old lighthouse near your coastal retreat, I’ll file an injunction that freezes your entire corporate empire.”
“Name the time,” I replied without hesitation.
“Midnight. Come alone. No police, no bodyguards. Just you and me settling family business.”
The line went dead with a click.
I immediately pulled out my secondary encrypted phone and dialed Detective Miller. “Miller, he reached out. Victor Vance.”
“We heard the trace,” Miller’s voice came back crisp and professional over the line. “He’s pinging from the abandoned lighthouse cliff road three miles north of your estate. Ethan, this is a trap. He knows we’re onto him.”
“Let him think he has the upper hand,” I said firmly. “I’m going to meet him. But we’re going to spring a trap of our own.”
By 11:30 PM, the coastal fog rolled in thick and heavy, shrouting the jagged cliffs in an eerie white mist. I parked my SUV fifty yards away from the decaying stone structure of the old lighthouse. The wind howled through the iron railings, carrying the salty scent of the sea.
I stepped out of the vehicle, my footsteps crunching on the gravel path.
May you like
Waiting by the rusted iron gate was Victor. He wore a dark trench coat, his silver-rimmed glasses gleaming under the dim glow of the lighthouse security light. A smug grin twisted his features as he watched me approach.
“I knew you’d come, big brother,” Victor laughed, stepping forward. “You always were too noble for your own good.”
