Chapter 19 - THE FINAL CONFRONTATION
Arthur raised his gun, his eyes bloodshot and insane with rage.
“No one leaves this room alive!” Arthur screamed above the roar of the growing fire.
“If the syndicate dies tonight, we all die together!”
Arthur pointed the revolver straight at Ethan’s heart.
Eleanor suddenly lunged from the side, grabbing Arthur’s arm with both hands.
“No!” she shrieked.
Arthur snarled, bringing his heavy silver walking cane around and striking Eleanor hard across the temple.
She collapsed onto the concrete floor, motionless.
The distraction gave Ethan the split second he needed.
Ethan charged forward, tackling his uncle through the shattered vault doorway and onto the burning factory floor.
They rolled through sparks and falling embers, struggling wildly over the heavy revolver.
Arthur was older, but he possessed the unnatural strength of a cornered predator.
He jammed his thumb into Ethan’s wounded shoulder, forcing Ethan to cry out in agony.
Arthur managed to twist the revolver around, pressing the barrel against Ethan’s ribs.
“Goodbye, dear nephew,” Arthur sneered through his yellowed teeth.
Before he could pull the trigger, a loud, clear gunshot rang out from the far side of the burning catwalk.
BANG!
Arthur’s body jerked violently.
A dark red stain bloomed across his grey suit jacket.
He dropped the revolver, his eyes wide with shock, and fell backward into the flames below.
Ethan scrambled away from the heat, clutching his bleeding shoulder, and looked up through the thick grey smoke.
Standing on the upper catwalk, holding a high-caliber sniper rifle, was Viktor.
Behind Viktor was a team of heavily armed federal agents descending the emergency ladders.
“Ethan! Over here!” Viktor yelled down through the roar of the fire.
“We have the perimeter secured!”
Ethan pushed himself up from the floor, gasping for fresh air.
He looked back into the burning vault room.
Eleanor was crawling out of the doorway, coughing violently, her face pale and covered in soot.
She looked up at Ethan, her eyes filled with helpless despair as federal agents rushed into the room, surrounding her with drawn weapons.
“It’s over, Eleanor,” Ethan said softly as the agents pulled her to her feet and placed her under arrest.
She didn't fight back.
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She didn't say a word.
She simply allowed them to lead her away into the rain outside.
