Chapter 23 - The Confrontation in the Storm
The wind howled through the trees as the blizzard intensified, dropping visibility to less than ten feet.
Julian moved cautiously along the side of the lodge, his shotgun held ready at his shoulder.
A shadow darted out from behind the woodpile, a bright muzzle flash cutting through the falling snow.
A bullet struck the stone wall inches from Julian's head, spraying sharp rock splinters across his face.
"You can't hide from me, Julian!" Victoria's unhinged voice shrieked over the roar of the wind.
She stepped out into the snow, wearing a heavy black parka, holding a automatic pistol in her gloved hands.
Her face was gaunt, her eyes wide with manic desperation as she pointed the weapon at her husband.
"You took my fortune! You ruined my life!" she screamed, her breath puffing in the freezing air.
"You murdered my wife and tried to kill my child, Victoria!" Julian shouted back, his voice steady as iron.
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Before she could pull the trigger, a loud siren echoed through the mountain valley as federal vehicles crested the ridge road.
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