Chapter 18
Chapter 18: The Shield and the Sword
"NO!" Daniel roared.
He didn't hesitate. He didn't think about the gun. He simply charged.
Victoria fired.
The gunshot was deafening inside the metal vault. Daniel felt a searing, blinding heat tear through his side, but the adrenaline masked the pain. He hit Victoria with the force of a freight train, driving her into the back wall of the vault.
The gun clattered to the floor.
Victoria clawed at his face, fighting with the feral strength of a cornered animal. "It's mine! I built it! I suffered for it!"
Daniel pinned her against the steel safety deposit boxes. "You built nothing! You only destroyed!"
Lane rushed into the vault, kicking the weapon far out of reach. He grabbed Victoria's uninjured arm, twisting it behind her back, and slammed her face-first onto the cold metal floor.
"Victoria Hart," Lane panted, pulling a pair of steel handcuffs from his belt. "You are under arrest for murder, attempted murder, and a dozen other charges I'll think of on the ride downtown."
The handcuffs clicked shut.
Victoria stopped struggling. She lay on the floor, breathing heavily, staring at the scattered documents that would seal her fate.
Daniel stumbled backward, clutching his side. Blood was seeping through his shirt.
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"Daniel!" Emily rushed into the vault, her face pale with terror. She transferred Hope to one arm and used her other to press against Daniel’s wound.
"I'm okay," Daniel gasped, forcing a smile. "It went through the side. I'm still here."
