Chapter 6 - Secrets of the Clinic
The gravel crunched under Ethan’s leather shoes as he walked down the long driveway toward the iron gates. The cold air tore at his shirt, but he didn't feel it. His entire universe had narrowed down to the two children inside his house.
Two state troopers stepped out of their vehicles, their hands resting on their holsters. Derek Voss stood behind them, his face twisted into a smug, victorious grin.
"Mr. Cole," the older trooper said, holding up a certified document. "We have a court order for the recovery of a minor child, Emma Voss, currently being held illegally at this location. Open the gate and step aside."
"Gentlemen," Ethan said, stopping a foot from the iron bars. "I respect your office, but that order was obtained through fraudulent misrepresentation to a circuit court judge. The respondent, Derek Voss, is currently the primary target of an active corporate fraud and witness intimidation investigation involving ColeCare Systems."
"That’s a lie!" Derek shouted, stepping forward, his face reddening. "He’s using his money to hide my kid! Officers, do your job! Break the lock if you have to!"
"Mr. Cole," the trooper repeated, his voice hardening. "We aren't here to litigate a corporate dispute. We have a signed order from a judge. If you don't open this gate within two minutes, we will charge you with felony interference."
Ethan looked past the troopers at Derek. "You think you’re smart, don't you, Derek? You thought if you got rid of Claire, the data disappeared. You thought a seven-year-old girl wouldn't remember what her mother told her."
Derek’s grin flickered, a sudden shadow of doubt crossing his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"She kept the SD card," Ethan said, his voice loud enough for the troopers to hear. "The one from the North St. Louis Clinic. The one where you and Thomas Grier talked about making sure Claire 'suffered an accident' if she didn't stop emailing my office. It’s already been uploaded to a secure cloud server, Derek. Even if you take Emma today, you go to a federal penitentiary by the end of the week."
The older trooper glanced back at Derek, his eyebrows furrowing. "Mr. Voss, is there an active investigation we weren't informed about?"
"He's bluffing!" Derek screamed, his voice cracking with sudden panic. "He’s trying to stall! Officers, open the damn gate!"
Before the trooper could respond, a third vehicle tore down the suburban road, its tires screeching as it blocked the troopers' cars. It was a dark blue suburban with federal plates. Two men in dark suits stepped out, holding badges.
"State police, stand down," the lead agent announced, walking directly to the gate. "Federal Bureau of Investigation. We are executing an emergency federal arrest warrant for Derek Voss on charges of interstate wire fraud, racketeering, and conspiracy to commit witness tampering."
The silence that followed was absolute, broken only by the sound of the wind through the bare branches.
Derek turned to run toward his Mercedes, but the second federal agent was already behind him, his weapon drawn. "Don't do it, Voss. It’s over."
Ethan watched as the handcuffs clicked into place over Derek’s wrists. The man who had terrorized Claire Brooks until her heart gave out was dragged toward the back of the federal vehicle, his expensive overcoat dragging in the dirt.
May you like
The lead agent turned to Ethan, nodding once through the iron bars. "Mr. Cole. We’ll need that drive."
"It’s ready for you," Ethan said. "But the children stay here."
