Chapter 12 – The Chase Through the Gardens
Rain poured over the Harrington estate, turning the stone pathways into slick ribbons beneath the flashing blue lights of police cruisers.
"Perimeter!" Detective Mercer shouted into his radio. "No one leaves the property!"
Officers spread across the gardens.
Nathan Voss had vanished into the darkness.
Leah stood beneath the mansion's front portico, holding the weathered notebook inside an evidence bag.
Mercer glanced through its pages again.
Each target had handwritten notes beside their name.
Some were crossed out.
Some had question marks.
Mrs. Harrington's page was marked with a single word.
Tonight.
One officer ran toward Mercer.
"Detective!"
"We found fresh footprints."
They followed the muddy trail through a hedge maze that stretched behind the mansion.
The rain had washed away most of the prints.
But one set remained deep and clear.
Nathan was injured.
Drops of blood mixed with the rainwater.
"He cut himself worse than we thought," Mercer said.
"He can't stay hidden forever."
Meanwhile, inside the ballroom, Gregory sat in handcuffs under police guard.
Victoria stared at him from across the room.
Finally, she spoke.
"You lied to me."
Gregory slowly looked up.
"I told you delaying the announcement would solve everything."
"You never said someone was going to die."
Gregory closed his eyes.
"I didn't know Nathan would go that far."
Victoria laughed bitterly.
"You expect anyone to believe that?"
He had no answer.
Outside, the search continued.
Leah noticed something unusual near the old greenhouse.
One muddy footprint suddenly disappeared.
She looked up.
"The greenhouse."
Mercer nodded.
"He could be inside."
Two officers quietly approached the door.
One counted with his fingers.
Three...
Two...
One...
The door burst open.
"Police!"
Silence.
The greenhouse appeared empty.
Rows of orchids and climbing roses filled the humid space.
Broken pots littered the floor.
Then—
Crash!
A metal shelf toppled over.
Nathan bolted from behind the plants.
He slammed into one officer and sprinted toward the rear exit.
Mercer chased him.
"So did Ethan."
"Nathan! Stop!"
Nathan ignored them.
He climbed over a low stone wall and ran toward the private dock behind the estate.
A speedboat waited at the end of the pier.
"He planned an escape!" Ethan shouted.
Nathan untied the rope with one hand.
Before he could start the engine—
Leah saw something everyone else missed.
The fuel hose had already come loose during the struggle.
"Nathan!"
She shouted instinctively.
"Don't start it!"
He looked back.
For a brief second, confusion crossed his face.
Then he turned the ignition.
The engine coughed.
Sparks flew.
Nothing happened.
The delay was enough.
Mercer tackled him from behind.
Both men crashed onto the wet wooden dock.
Nathan fought violently.
He reached into his jacket.
Officer Ramirez drew his weapon.
"Don't!"
Nathan pulled out...
Not a gun.
A flash drive.
He threw it toward the dark water.
Leah lunged.
The tiny device bounced off the dock railing.
She caught it inches before it fell into the harbor.
Nathan stopped struggling.
His expression changed.
Not anger.
Defeat.
Mercer secured the handcuffs.
"It's over."
Nathan stared at the flash drive in Leah's hand.
"You have no idea what you've just picked up."
Back inside the mansion, forensic technicians connected the drive to a secure police laptop.
Folders appeared one after another.
Financial records.
Offshore accounts.
Forged contracts.
Secret surveillance photographs.
Then one folder caught Mercer's attention.
Its title read:
HARRINGTON PROJECT
He opened it.
The room fell silent.
There were months of emails.
Blueprints of the mansion.
Photographs of Mrs. Harrington's daily routine.
And dozens of encrypted messages between Nathan...
And someone identified only as:
Director.
Mercer frowned.
"Who is Director?"
Nathan smiled for the first time.
"You'll never meet him."
Mercer ignored the taunt.
He continued searching.
Then another file appeared.
Its name was only two words.
Final Payment.
He opened it.
A bank transfer receipt filled the screen.
Five million dollars.
Sent just forty-eight hours earlier.
The sender's identity was hidden.
But the receiving account belonged to...
Gregory Ashford.
Every eye turned toward Gregory.
He lowered his head.
The evidence could no longer be explained away.
Mercer closed the laptop.
"Gregory Ashford..."
"You're under arrest for conspiracy to commit attempted murder, financial fraud, and obstruction of justice."
As officers led Gregory away, he looked back at Nathan.
Nathan remained strangely calm.
Almost confident.
As though he still believed someone else would save him.
Mercer noticed.
And that worried him.
May you like
Because men like Nathan didn't smile...
Unless they believed the real mastermind was still free.
