Chapter 7: The Mastermind's Downfall
Before Kane could pull the trigger, a gunshot rang out.
But it didn’t come from Kane’s weapon.
Kane gasped, his eyes going wide as a red stain bloomed on his chest.
He dropped to his knees, collapsing heavily onto the marble floor.
Standing at the end of the hallway was William Carter.
The old man’s hands were perfectly steady, smoke rising from the barrel of his silver revolver.
“Nobody touches my daughter,” William said, his voice cold as ice.
Victoria didn’t waste a second. She threw herself into the panic room, slammed the heavy steel door shut, and locked down the magnetic seal.
Safe.
Inside the reinforced bunker, the emergency backup lights flickered on.
Lucas was sobbing, huddled in the corner.
Victoria rushed to him, holding his face in her hands. “We’re safe. We’re safe now. I promise.”
Outside the panic room, the gunfire had stopped.
Marcus realized he was outgunned and outmatched. Kane was dead. The police sirens were already wailing in the distance, cutting through the storm.
He had to get out.
He sprinted toward the back exits, running into the library.
But someone was waiting for him in the dark.
Richard.
Richard stepped out of the shadows, pointing a trembling pistol at Marcus.
“You idiot!” Richard hissed. “You were supposed to be quiet! You ruined everything!”
Marcus laughed, a dark, cynical sound.
“You’re pathetic, Richard. You paid me to kill a kid, and you don’t even have the guts to do it yourself. Put the gun down before you hurt yourself.”
“I have to kill you,” Richard said, his hands shaking violently. “If the police catch you, you’ll tell them I hired you.”
“They already know,” a voice said from the doorway.
The lights in the library suddenly flared to life. The backup generator had kicked in.
Standing in the doorway was the lead police detective, flanked by a dozen heavily armed SWAT officers.
William Carter stood behind them, his face filled with absolute disgust.
“Drop the weapon, Richard,” the detective ordered.
Richard looked around, his eyes wide with panic like a trapped rat.
He looked at Marcus. He looked at the police. He looked at his father.
“Dad... Dad, please, it was Sophia’s idea! I just went along with it!” Richard begged, dropping the gun and falling to his knees.
William didn’t even blink.
“You are no longer my son,” William said quietly.
Officers swarmed the room, tackling Marcus to the ground and slapping heavy iron cuffs on Richard’s wrists.
The nightmare was finally over.
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The monsters were caught.
Every single one of them.
