Chapter 14 - The Ambush|
The SUV drove them to a secure safehouse on the outskirts of the city—an anonymous, brutalist concrete structure owned by Julian’s firm.
Ricardo paced the floor of the stark, windowless room while Julian reviewed the toxicology report under a bright desk lamp. Dr. Vance was fast asleep on a cot in the corner, exhausted by terror.
“We can't wait for a grand jury,” Ricardo said, running a hand through his messy hair. “If Lucas gets legal custody of Bia tomorrow morning, she disappears. I know how he operates. He’ll move her out of the country.”
“If you walk into that courthouse tomorrow, you will be arrested on sight,” Julian reminded him, not looking up from the documents. “The local police are in his pocket. They will drag you out in cuffs before you can even present this evidence to a judge.”
“Then we don't present it to a judge,” Ricardo said, a dangerous plan forming in his mind. “We present it to the one person Lucas answers to.”
Julian finally looked up, raising an eyebrow. “Helena.”
“Helena cares about the family legacy above all else,” Ricardo explained, sitting across from Julian. “She visited me this morning. She’s terrified of Lucas. If she realizes Lucas is about to be indicted federally for murder and wire fraud, she will cut him loose to save herself and her company.”
“She’s a shark, Rick. You can't trust her.”
“I don't need to trust her. I just need to use her. Where is she right now?”
Julian pulled out a tablet and tapped the screen a few times.
“She’s hosting a charity gala at the Sterling Estate tonight. It’s a high-security event. You’ll never get through the front gates.”
“I don't need to go through the front gates,” Ricardo said, standing up and grabbing his coat. “I built the security system for that estate five years ago. I left a backdoor in the server for maintenance.”
Julian stared at him for a long moment before closing the file folder.
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“You’re crazy, Rick. But if you can get Helena to flip and withdraw her financial backing, Lucas’s entire legal shield collapses overnight.”
“Keep Bia safe,” Ricardo said. “I’m going to the gala.”
