Chapter 56 - The Hostage
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The freezing wind howled through the mountain pass, but I couldn't feel the cold. I stood frozen, staring at the barrel of the gun pressed against my son's temple.
Julian Vance wore a heavy wool overcoat, his silver hair perfectly styled despite the harsh conditions. He smiled, a terrifying expression of absolute control. Next to him, two massive guards had Audrey pinned to the snow, her hands bound behind her back.
"You really are a marvel, Elena," Julian called out over the wind. "I must admit, your little diversion to Chicago had my men chasing ghosts for a day. But I knew you couldn't resist the vault. All I had to do was track the chartered flights into neutral territory and wait."
"Let him go," I said, my voice dangerously low. I slowly raised my hands, showing him I wasn't reaching for a weapon. "You have me. Let my son and my friend walk away."
Julian laughed, a sharp, barking sound. "You still think you are in a position to negotiate? You broke my men, ruined my gala, and embarrassed me in front of the syndicate's elite. You don't get to make demands."
Julian cocked the hammer of his pistol. Nicolás squeezed his eyes shut, his jaw trembling, but he didn't cry out. He stayed perfectly still.
"I have the ledger, Julian!" I yelled, reaching into my coat pocket and slowly pulling out the encrypted hard drive. I held it up for him to see.
Julian’s eyes locked onto the small device, a flash of genuine greed crossing his aristocratic features.
"I will give you the drive," I proposed, taking a slow step forward. "I will give you everything my father stole. But we do this properly. A trade."
"Throw it to me," Julian demanded, pressing the gun harder against Nicolás's head.
"No," I countered, stopping in my tracks. "If I throw this, you kill us the second you catch it. You want the keys to your kingdom? You meet me at the edge of the ravine. Just you and me. We trade hand to hand."
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Julian stared at me, his eyes narrowing as he weighed his options. The ledger was worth billions. It was his entire future.
"Very well," Julian agreed, lowering the gun slightly. "Let us finish this."
