Part 14
The distance between us shrank to ten feet,
then eight,
the cold metal of her revolver reflecting the dim light of dawn.
Marianne’s finger tightened on the trigger,
her lips trembling as she stared into my eyes,
searching for the weakness she had exploited for years.
But she found nothing but solid stone,
the absolute resolve of a man who had already faced death,
and had nothing left to lose but his honor.
She realized,
with a sudden,
terrifying clarity,
that she couldn't break me,
that her power over me had vanished completely.
With a sharp sob of frustration,
her hand dropped,
the revolver slipping from her fingers,
and clattering uselessly against the cold tarmac.
She fell to her knees on the metal stairs,
the leather briefcase slipping from her grasp,
its contents spilling out across the wet ground.
Stacks of hundred-dollar bills,
and gold-stamped bonds were caught by the wind,
tumbling across the runway like useless autumn leaves.
I stepped forward,
kicking the fallen weapon far out of her reach,
and stood over her as she wept into her hands.
"It's over,
Marianne,"
I said softly,
the anger leaving my voice,
replaced by a profound,
weary pity.
The high whine of sirens began to echo from the highway,
growing louder with every passing second,
as Marcus’s federal units finally arrived.
A dozen dark vehicles tore through the shattered gate,
their lights painting the hangar walls in brilliant shades,
of red and blue.
Agents poured out of the cars,
their weapons drawn,
quickly securing the pilot and the perimeter of the aircraft.
Marcus walked up beside me,
looking down at Marianne,
before placing his hand on my shoulder with a heavy sigh.
"You always did know how to close a case,
Daniel,"
he said,
his voice filled with a deep,
abiding respect.
"Take her away,
Marcus,"
I said,
turning my back on the woman who had nearly destroyed my life,
"I need to get back to my daughter."
I walked away from the plane,
the wind blowing the remaining stolen bills across my path,
but I didn't look down at them once.
Wealth meant nothing,
this paper meant nothing,
compared to the safety of the girl waiting for me at the marina.
I climbed back into my sedan,
the cabin quiet and warm,
as I turned the car around and headed toward the exit.
The sun was finally breaking through the heavy clouds,
casting a brilliant,
golden light across the wide fields,
chasing away the long,
dark night.
The hunt was finished,
May you like
the wolves were caged,
and the path home was finally clear.
