Chapter 2 - The Standoff
The massive iron gates of the estate groaned but held. Julian Vance backed his truck up, the heavy snow chains churning the drifts into black sludge, and rammed the barrier a second time. The screech of bending metal pierced through the howling blizzard.
Inside the darkened foyer, Elias stood perfectly still in the shadows, his shotgun angled down. He pressed a button on the wall console, activating the external intercom.
"You are trespassing on private property, Julian," Elias's voice boomed over the external speakers, cutting through the wind. "The county sheriff has been dispatched. Turn your vehicle around, or I will use lethal force."
Outside, the truck’s engine idled down. The driver's side door clicked open. A figure stepped out into the knee-deep snow, illuminated by the harsh glare of the headlights. It was Julian. He was wearing a high-end shearling coat, looking completely out of place in a blizzard, yet moving with the predatory grace of a man who owned everything he touched.
Julian approached the intercom box mounted on the stone pillar. He smiled, a cold, empty expression that didn't reach his eyes.
"Elias. It’s been eight years," Julian’s voice crackled smoothly through the speaker. "I’m so glad Clara told the kids to come here. It saves me the trouble of hunting them down in the woods. Open the gate, Doctor. I’ve come to collect my family."
"They aren't here," Elias lied smoothly, his pulse steady.
"Don't insult my intelligence," Julian laughed softly. "I tracked the GPS on Clara's phone before I... put her to sleep. She slipped it into the little brat's pocket. Now, be a good brother-in-law. Unlock the gate. If I have to tear it down, I'm going to do things to you that your medical degree won't be able to fix."
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Elias looked down at the waterproof pouch resting on the console. "I found the insurance policies, Julian. I found the custody papers. Your financial empire is collapsing, and you need Clara’s trust fund to bail you out. If she and the kids die in a tragic blizzard accident, you get fifty million dollars."
Julian’s smile vanished. The silence on the intercom stretched for ten agonizing seconds. When he finally spoke, his voice was utterly devoid of humanity. "Cut the power."
