Chapter 20
Silas stumbled backward in the snow, his hands shaking so violently he could barely hold his gun. He looked at the back seat of the SUV, expecting to see his niece, but saw only the ballistic dummies strapped into the leather seats. "Where is she?" Silas panicked, his rosy skin draining of all color. "Where is the girl?" "She is safe," Bennett said, closing the distance between them with slow, deliberate steps. "She is in a fortress, playing with a gift that wasn't pulled from the trash. Which is more than I can say for you." "Stay back!" Silas screamed, pointing the trembling barrel directly at Bennett's chest. "I'll kill you! I swear to God, Bennett, I will pull the trigger!" Bennett didn't stop walking. He didn't flinch. The authoritative calm he had maintained all his life radiated off him in terrifying waves. "You won't shoot," Bennett stated, his American accent crisp and lethal. "Because you're exactly what I always knew you were, Silas. A coward. You relied on Robert's money, Clara's connections, and hired thugs. And now, you have absolutely nothing left." Before Silas could react, two of Bennett’s tactical operators flanked him, sweeping his legs out from under him. Silas hit the icy pavement hard, the gun clattering away into the snow. He groaned in agony, clutching his already shattered nose. Bennett stood over him, looking down with eyes like chipped ice. "I told you to wait until tomorrow."
