Chapter 5 - The Trap at the Terminal
Daniel did not flinch as Jason stepped out of the black sedan. The younger Vance was dressed in expensive casual clothes, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He looked entirely unaffected by the fact that his sister was in a hospital bed fighting to save her pregnancy.
"You really thought you could destroy me with a stupid phone recording?" Jason laughed, stepping closer, though he kept a safe distance from Daniel’s imposing frame. "My dad already has the District Attorney reviewing 'procedural errors' in your filing. By tomorrow morning, that video will be inadmissible. And as for Sarah... well, she should have watched her step."
Daniel’s fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. The urge to smash Jason's teeth down his throat was almost overwhelming, but he knew that was exactly what the Vances wanted. A physical altercation would give them the leverage to arrest him and paint him as the violent one.
"You're a coward, Jason," Daniel said, his voice deadly calm. "You've spent your entire life hiding behind your father's wallet. But tonight, that wallet isn't going to be big enough."
"We'll see about that," Jason sneered, tossing his duffel bag into the passenger seat. "My flight leaves in two hours. By the time I get to Geneva, this will all be a minor tax-deductible settlement. Tell Sarah I hope the kid survives—though with your genetics, it's probably better off not."
Jason slammed his car door, revved the engine, and sped out of the hospital parking lot.
Daniel immediately got into his own truck. He didn't chase Jason. Instead, he called his chief logistics officer at his engineering firm.
"Marcus, it's Daniel. I need a favor. The private hangar renovation we did at Metro Airport last year—do we still have the remote override access to the security gates for the inspection walk-throughs?"
"Yeah, Daniel, the system integration contract is still active until the end of the month. Why?"
"I need you to lock down Hangar 4. Now. No private jets leave the tarmac."
"Daniel, that’s highly illegal if it’s not for an inspection. We could lose our license."
"My son's life is on the line, Marcus. Jason kicked Sarah down the stairs. He's trying to flee."
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There was a brief pause on the line, followed by the sound of rapid keyboard typing. "Hangar 4 is undergoing an 'emergency structural safety override' as of right now, boss. No gates open, no planes taxi. You have ninety minutes before airport authority overrides my system manually."
"That's all I need," Daniel said, slamming his foot on the gas.
