Chapter 4 - The War Lines Are Drawn
Detective Ruiz sat by Sarah’s bedside, his expression serious as he listened to the couple's account of what had happened. Daniel handed him the phone, playing the video file.
The audio of Jason’s cruel shout, the sickening thud of the fall, and Arthur’s echoing, mocking laughter filled the sterile hospital room. Detective Ruiz’s jaw tightened as he watched.
"This is clear-cut felony assault on a pregnant woman, coupled with reckless endangerment," Ruiz said, shutting the phone. "Usually, with families like the Vances, these cases get tied up in bureaucratic red tape before they even reach my desk. But this video... there’s no spinning this. It’s ironclad."
"Can you arrest him tonight?" Daniel asked.
"I can issue a warrant," Ruiz replied. "But I have to be honest with you. Arthur Vance has already contacted the commissioner’s office. They are trying to claim the video is a deepfake or manipulated media. Until our digital forensics unit authenticates the raw file from your cloud backup, my hands are slightly tied regarding an immediate arrest. Arthur is trying to buy time to get Jason out of the country."
"They're going to send him to their estate in Switzerland," Sarah said, her voice shaking with anger. "He has a private flight clearance. If he leaves, we'll never get him back."
"He won't leave," Daniel said, a fierce determination in his eyes. "I know how Arthur's private flights operate. They use the executive terminal at Metro Airport, which my firm did the structural renovations for. I still have contacts there. Detective Ruiz, how long do you need to authenticate the file?"
"With my team working overnight? Six hours," Ruiz said.
"Then we have six hours to keep Jason in the city," Daniel said.
As Ruiz left to fast-track the warrant, Daniel turned to Sarah. She looked so small in the hospital bed, hooked up to monitors, her life and their child's life hanging in a delicate balance.
"I have to go, Sarah," Daniel whispered, kneeling by her side. "I need to ensure Jason doesn't run. But I hate leaving you here."
"Go," Sarah said, pulling him down for a fierce kiss. "Do it for our son, Daniel. Don't let them win this time. I'm safe here with Dr. Aris. Go bring them down."
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Daniel left the hospital, his mind spinning. But as he stepped into the parking lot, his car was suddenly blocked by a sleek, black luxury sedan. The window rolled down, revealing the sneering face of Jason Vance.
"Looking for me, brother-in-law?" Jason smirked, tapping the steering wheel. He wasn't running yet—he was gloating.
