Chapter 12 - Blood TiesThe shootout in the lower concourse was brief, brutal, and precise.
Derrick utilized his intimate knowledge of the building's structural layout—the very blueprints Maya had spent months perfecting—to flank the strike team. Using the shadow of the heavy load-bearing columns, he neutralized three of Julian's men before they even realized he wasn't fleeing.
By the time Special Agent Mercer and the FBI tactical unit breached the ground floor perimeter with sirens wailing in the distance, the basement was quiet once more.
Derrick didn't stay to talk to Mercer. He knew Julian wouldn't be at the construction site. A man like Julian never put himself on the front line when he could hire mercenaries to do the dirty work.
Julian was at the only place that still offered him a illusion of control: the abandoned Sterling estate in Lake Forest.
An hour later, under the cover of a driving rainstorm, Derrick pulled his sedan onto the overgrown gravel driveway of the estate. The massive, gothic mansion had sat vacant since their father’s death six years ago, its boarded-up windows staring out over the dark woods like hollow eye sockets.
Derrick stepped out of the car, stepping over the rusty iron gates that had been cut open.
He unholstered his pistol and pushed open the heavy front doors. Inside, the grand foyer was covered in dust sheets and shadow. Sitting on a velvet armchair in the center of the dusty marble floor, sipping scotch from a crystal glass, was Julian.
A single lantern sat on the floor beside him, casting long, sinister shadows up his face.
"I knew you'd come here," Julian said smoothly, setting his glass down on a small table. "You always were sentimental about this dump."
"It's over, Julian," Derrick said, walking slowly into the room, keeping his weapon trained on his brother's chest. "Mercer has the ledgers. Marcus is in federal custody. The grand jury issued indictments thirty minutes ago. By sunrise, every asset you own will be frozen."
Julian laughed—a dry, bitter sound that echoed through the empty mansion.
"Do you really think I care about the money, Derrick?" Julian stood up, stepping into the lantern light. His eyes were wide, bloodshot, manic. "I built an empire out of the filth our father left us! I did the heavy lifting while you ran off to play hero! And you destroyed it all for an architect you've known for five minutes!"
"I destroyed it because you were a monster," Derrick replied coldly. "And because you laid a hand on her."
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Julian's hand darted into his trench coat. Derrick fired instantly, striking Julian in the shoulder. Julian stumbled back with a roar of pain, but his own weapon cleared his pocket, returning fire.
Glass shattered overhead as a bullet struck the crystal chandelier, sending shower of glass cascading down onto the marble floor.
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