Chapter 3 - The Ambush at the Gas Station
I kept the stun gun leveled directly at his chest, refusing to let the familiar softness of his gaze disarm me. "You authorized the four-hundred-million-dollar wire transfer with your personal biometric key three hours ago, Zachary!"
"I authorized the transfer to move the capital into an escrow vault where my mother couldn't liquidate it!" Zachary shouted back, the rain plastering his dark hair across his forehead. "Victoria forged a power of attorney using the signature pad from your medical checkup last month!"
Before I could process his words, the blinding high-beams of two additional vehicles crested the ridge of the service road. Two customized black Yukon Denalis skidded to a halt on the gravel, blocking both ends of the narrow thoroughfare.
Four men in dark tactical windbreakers jumped out, brandishing high-powered flashlights and zip-tie restraints. "Mrs. Sterling, step away from the civilian and return to the primary transport vehicle immediately," the lead operative barked.
"Those aren't state marshals, Sienna, those are Victoria’s private extraction contractors," Zachary hissed, grabbing my wrist and pulling me behind the thick trunk of an ancient oak tree. A suppressed gunshot kicked up dirt and pine needles two inches from my left boot, the sharp hiss of the silencer cutting through the tempest.
"They have lethal authorization!" I gasped, the cold reality of Victoria’s ruthlessness finally registering in my bones. "She isn't just trying to steal the estate; she wants me dead before the midnight probate deadline!"
Zachary reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a heavy semi-automatic handgun, returning three rapid shots toward the approaching headlights. The front windshield of the lead SUV shattered, forcing the tactical contractors to dive behind their open vehicle doors for cover.
"Run toward the old gas station on the lower access road!" Zachary commanded, reloading a fresh magazine with practiced military precision. "I hid an untraceable sedan behind the abandoned garage!"
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I hesitated for a fraction of a second, looking into the eyes of the man who had deceived me for half a decade. "Why are you shooting at your mother's men if you planned this from the beginning?"
"Because I was supposed to be her puppet, Sienna, until I actually fell in love with you," Zachary whispered fiercely before firing another round into the darkness. "Now run, before they flank our position!"
