You're paying $3,200 a month starting today or my people padlock the door, my twenty-seven-year-old son, Tyler, announced at six in the morning, stepping past me into my small rental apartment wi...
The relief that washed over me when Frank ordered Marcus to stand down was short-lived. The air still crackled with danger, but it was a different kind now. The syndicate had shifted its focus from me to Tyler. I watched Frank and Marcus begin to relay orders, their voices low and urgent into their phones. Lily, still whimpering, clutched my hand.
Suddenly, the door, already hanging precariously on one hinge, burst open again.
Tyler stood there, a cheap pump-action shotgun clutched in his hands, his eyes wide and bloodshot with panic. He must have heard about the exposed forum posts, about Cross’s men turning on him. He was desperate.
“Mom!” he screamed, his voice raw with fear and rage. “You betrayed me! You told them everything!”
He ignored Frank and Marcus, his gaze fixed on Lily. He knew his leverage had vanished, that he was cornered. His only thought was to create new leverage.
“Lily!” he roared, lunging forward, surprisingly fast despite his bulk. “You’re coming with me!”
He reached for Lily, who screamed again, a high-pitched, terrified sound. Before I could react, Tyler had her. He yanked her off the bed, her small body dangling precariously in his grasp. The shotgun swung wildly, its barrel narrowly missing my head.
“Let her go, Tyler!” I screamed, lunging for him, but Marcus was already moving, reacting faster.
“Garrett! Stop!” Marcus yelled, pulling his own handgun. He didn’t fire, not with Lily in the way.
A chaotic struggle erupted in the narrow motel room. Tyler, fueled by adrenaline and terror, held Lily in front of him like a shield. I grabbed a heavy iron lamp from the bedside table, swinging it wildly, connecting with Tyler’s arm. He grunted in pain, but his grip on Lily didn’t falter.
“She’s my insurance!” Tyler shrieked, struggling towards the door. “No one touches me if I have her!”
Frank and Marcus moved to intercept him, trying to box him in. Tyler was surprisingly strong, twisting and turning, Lily a terrified, helpless puppet in his arms. Her frail body was jostled violently, her head lolling.
“Tyler, please!” I begged, tears streaming down my face. “She’s sick! You’ll kill her!”
“She’s coming with me!” he roared, pushing past Frank, knocking him off balance. He burst out of the motel room and onto the outdoor concrete walkway, dragging Lily with him.
The night air hit us, cold and sharp. The walkway was narrow, with a flimsy metal railing. The fire escape, a steep, rusted contraption of metal stairs, was just a few feet away. Tyler, desperate to escape, started pulling Lily towards it.
“He’s going for the fire escape!” Marcus yelled, sprinting after him, Frank right behind.
I screamed Lily’s name, my heart lodged in my throat. Tyler was a madman. He didn’t care who he hurt. He was a cornered animal, and he was taking my daughter down with him. I lunged forward, throwing myself at his back, anything to make him release her. But it was already too late.
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