Chapter 4: A Deal with the Devil
The kitchen turned into a war zone in a fraction of a second. Gunfire erupted, shattering the pristine tile and sending pots and pans clattering to the floor. Raymond’s men provided covering fire as Benjamin dove across the room, tackling the mercenary reaching for Evan.
Benjamin fought with a desperate, animalistic strength, throwing the man into a rack of industrial ovens. He scooped Evan up into his arms, shielding the boy’s body with his own.
"I've got you, buddy. I've got you," Benjamin breathed, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm. Evan buried his face in Benjamin's shoulder, trembling violently.
Marcus Vance, realizing he was outgunned by Benjamin's superior security force, ducked behind a reinforced pillar. "Cease fire!" Vance yelled, his voice echoing through the ruined kitchen. "Cease fire, Hale, or the mother dies right now!"
The shooting stopped abruptly. Benjamin froze.
Vance stepped out from behind the pillar, holding up a smartphone. On the screen was a live video feed of Sarah, Evan’s mother. She was in her hospital bed at the private clinic, looking bewildered as a man in a doctor's coat held a syringe filled with a familiar, sickly green liquid directly over her IV line.
"The exact same toxin your lovely ex-wife used," Vance said, adjusting his cuffs casually. "My man is standing by. One word from me, and the poison enters her bloodstream. She’ll be dead before you can even dial the clinic's front desk."
Evan gasped, tears finally spilling over. "Mom!"
Benjamin felt a cold sweat break out over his skin. He had anticipated an attack on the school, but he hadn't foreseen Vance striking two places at once. Vance was a master chess player, always three moves ahead.
"What do you want, Vance?" Benjamin growled, his grip on Evan tightening.
"I want what I was promised," Vance replied, walking slowly toward them. "Hale Global. The patents, the real estate, the military defense contracts. All of it. I have the transfer documents ready. You sign them over to the Vanguard Syndicate right now, and the boy and his mother live to see tomorrow. You refuse, and I kill her, then I kill him, and I take the company anyway."
It was the ultimate ultimatum. Everything Benjamin had built, his life's work, the legacy of the Hale family, weighed against the lives of the two people who had given him a reason to live.
Benjamin didn't even blink. "Give me the pen."
Raymond stepped forward, horrified. "Sir, you can't! Once he has the company, he has no reason to keep them alive!"
"Stand down, Raymond," Benjamin commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. He set Evan down gently. "It's just money. It's not worth my family."
Vance smiled triumphantly. He signaled to one of his men, who produced a sleek leather folder and a gold fountain pen. He slid it across a steel counter toward Benjamin.
Benjamin approached the counter. He stared at the documents—the surrender of his empire. He picked up the pen. His hand was steady. He signed his name on the dotted line, sealing the fate of Hale Global.
Vance snatched the folder back, inspecting the signature. "Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Hale. A shame you won't be around to see what I do with your company."
Vance raised his hand, a clear signal to his men to execute Benjamin and Evan anyway.
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But Benjamin smiled. A dark, terrifying smile that made Vance pause.
"You're right, Vance," Benjamin said softly. "I won't be around to see it. Because the company you just acquired doesn't exist anymore."
