Chapter 20 - The Unseen Player
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"I'll trade you," I said calmly, stepping forward. "The girl goes out the front door, and I slide the ledger across the floor."
Daniel sneered, gesturing with the gun. "Do it."
I nodded to the terrified little girl. She sprinted out the front door, disappearing into the safety of the neighborhood. The moment she was gone, the distant, rising wail of police sirens pierced the air. Lena had made the call. The FBI was swarming the block.
"You bitch!" Daniel screamed, raising the gun. "I'll kill you!"
"You can try," I whispered. I threw the heavy ledger across the floor. It slid under the heavy oak coffee table, out of his immediate reach. As he instinctively lunged for it, the front doors exploded inward.
Tactical teams flooded the room, laser sights pinning Daniel to the floor before he could even raise his weapon.
"Drop it!" an agent roared. Daniel dropped the gun, screaming in defeat as they slammed him face-first into the hardwood and cuffed him.
I watched as they dragged my husband away. He looked back at me, his face twisted in a mixture of rage and terror.
"You think this is over, Caroline?!" Daniel shouted as they pulled him onto the porch. "I wasn't the boss! You just exposed the syndicate! They won't stop until you're dead!"
I ignored him, walking over to retrieve the ledger. The FBI agents were busy securing the perimeter. I opened the book to the very last page, intending to hand it over to the lead agent.
But as my eyes scanned the final list of cartel names, my heart stopped.
Right at the top of the syndicate's payroll, circled in my father's red ink, was a name I knew intimately.
May you like
My cell phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out. A single text message glowed on the screen from an unknown number.
Did you really think I'd let him kill you, partner? Keep the ledger safe. I'll see you soon.
