Chapter 14 - The Confrontation
The air inside the house smelled of old wood and salt air.
Mark stepped quietly across the hardwood floor, keeping his weapon raised.
The house was eerily silent except for the creaking of the wind outside.
He reached the base of the stairs leading to the second floor.
Every step felt like walking on landmines.
He slowly climbed the wooden staircase, avoiding the squeaky center boards.
He reached the top landing.
The door to the master bedroom was slightly cracked open.
Warm light spilled onto the floorboards.
Mark crept closer and pushed the door open with the barrel of his pistol.
Inside the room, Lily and Emma were sitting on the edge of a large bed.
Their hands were tied with soft cloth wraps, and their mouths were covered with duct tape.
When they saw Mark step into the room, their eyes went wide with sudden hope and terror.
"Shh... it's okay, daddy's here," Mark whispered, lowering his gun.
He rushed over to the bed and quickly pulled the tape from Emma's mouth.
"Daddy!" Emma sobbed loudly. "She's downstairs!"
"I know, baby, I know," Mark said, untying the cloth around their wrists.
"We have to go right now," Mark urged.
"Going so soon, Mark?" a cold voice spoke from the doorway behind him.
Mark turned around instantly, raising his weapon.
Sarah was standing in the doorframe.
She wasn't holding a gun.
She was holding a small electronic detonator with a blinking red light.
Standing directly behind her was Victoria Sterling.
Victoria held a suppressed handgun pointed straight at Mark's head.
"Put the gun down, Mark," Victoria said smoothly.
"Or I put a bullet through your shoulder before you can pull that trigger."
Mark looked at Sarah, then at Victoria.
"You really worked together from the start," Mark said, his voice dropping into a dangerous calm.
"Victoria was my father's partner's daughter," Sarah smirked.
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"This plan was designed ten years ago, Mark."
"You were just the final piece of paper that needed signing."
