Death

Chapter 125: Death

JOHN EVANS

The moment I stepped into the bank, a chill ran down my spine. Today was the day that I decided to do what I had been postponing— filing for the withdrawal of Martha’s safe deposit box

The teller looked at me with polite indifference as she processed my request.  

"It should take about thirty minutes, Mr. Evans," she said.  

I nodded and took a seat, my foot tapping against the floor impatiently. I didn't want to get those documents and put my family in trouble but now, after seeing the documents, the accounts, and the video she left behind, I knew I had to do something about her death and the people behind it.

Martha had trusted me to finish what she started. And I wasn’t going to fail her again.  

Back at my office, I locked the door, spread the documents across my desk, and started going through them one by one. The deeper I dug, the clearer the picture became—Smith Cole wasn’t just involved in shady business; he was the architect of something much bigger.  

Illegal shipments. Offshore accounts tied to money laundering. Names of politicians, businessmen, and even law enforcement officials who were on his payroll. And then there was the video.  

I hesitated before playing it again.  

Martha’s face appeared on the screen, her expression tight with urgency and I clenched my jaw.  

As the video cut out, leaving nothing but silence in the room. I took a deep breath, then grabbed my phone.  

I arranged for the original documents to be delivered to Ethan’s family home whenever I sent a message that if anything ever happened to me, I'm sure Ethan would know what to do. Then I kept copies for myself.  

I was staring at the pile of documents on my desk, my mind a mess, I had to fix a meeting with Ethan so I'll know his next line of action. A knock on the door suddenly interrupted my thoughts.

The door opened anyway, and Ava stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "You've been a mess since you found out about Mia's relationship. I'm worried about you."  

I sighed, rubbing my temple. "I'm not ready for that discussion Ava. I have a lot on my plate now."  

She walked closer, placing a folder on my desk. "Okay love, if you insist. One more thing, you missed lunch. Again. And I’m guessing you didn’t sleep much either."  

I didn’t respond.  

Ava sighed. "You can’t fix everything overnight. You need to take care of yourself."  

I leaned back in my chair. “I know Ava, I'll take your advice okay?” 

“That's good, I'll call tonight to check up on you.” She smiled, “ I'm getting off work now, when will you leave?” 

I sighed, “Very soon love, I just need to sort out something.” 

“Okay, take care and I love you.” She responded and left my office.

Immediately, I picked up the phone and dialed.  

"Ethan," I said the moment he answered. "Meet me at the old warehouse on the Westside in an hour. There’s something you need to see."  

"John, what’s going on?" Ethan’s voice held suspicion, but also concern.  

"No questions. Just be there."  

The warehouse was eerily quiet so I stood near a stack of old crates, watching the entrance. A few minutes later, Ethan stepped inside, his expression cautious.  

"You better have a good reason for dragging me out here," he said.  

I held up the folder of documents. "This is everything tying Smith Cole to Martha’s murder and his illegal dealings."  

Ethan’s eyes darkened. "Are you sure?"  

I scoffed. "I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t."  

He flipped through the papers, his jaw tightening. "This is enough to bury him."  

"Exactly." I crossed my arms. "But we can’t go through the legal system. Smith owns too many people. We need to be smart about this."  

Ethan nodded slowly. "We leak this to the press, make it public."  

"Not just the press," I said. "We use it to force his allies to turn on him. If we hit him from all sides, he won’t have anywhere to run."  

Ethan was about to respond when the warehouse door slammed open.  

We both turned sharply as a group of men stepped inside, their presence giving off danger vibes. My hand instinctively went to my gun, but Ethan tensed beside me.  

"I know them," he muttered. "They’re from the Tiger Gang."  

My mind worked quickly. "From Liam’s blackmail problem?"  

"Yeah," Ethan confirmed, his voice tight. "Looks like they’re our problem now, too."  

One of the men, a broad-shouldered guy with a scar down his cheek, took a step forward. "Hand over the documents."  

I narrowed my eyes. "Who sent you?"  

He smirked. "Not your concern."  

Ethan let out a low curse. "This isn’t good, John."  

No, it wasn’t.  

I gripped the folder tighter. "You want the documents? Come take them."  

The man’s smirk disappeared. "Have it your way."  

The first shot rang out and immediately I shoved Ethan aside, drawing out my own weapon, but more gunfire erupted, and I felt the impact before I even registered the pain.  

A sharp, burning sensation tore through my side, but I didn’t go down, I couldn't ppgo down without a fight. I fired back, hitting one of them in the leg. Ethan took cover behind a crate, returning fire, but they had us outnumbered.  

Then I saw another man taking aim at Ethan.  

I didn’t think, I just moved.  

The second shot hit me square in the chest.  

I gasped, my knees buckling.  

Ethan turned, eyes wide. "John!"  

I collapsed against the crate, blood soaking through my shirt.  

Ethan rushed toward me, but another shot rang out, and he stumbled, holding his shoulder. He fell to the ground, his breathing shallow.  

I fumbled for my phone, my vision blurring. With trembling fingers, I sent the message. The documents would reach Ethan’s home. That was all that mattered now.  

My hand clenched around the phone as I looked at Ethan. He wasn’t moving.  

No. No, no, no.  

I tried to crawl toward him, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. My breath came in shallow gasps. The pain was distant now, replaced by a strange, eerie calm.  

The gang members retreated, their job done. One of them came to me and grabbed the document from my clutches. I heard their footsteps fading, but I couldn’t bring myself to move anymore.  

I tried to keep my eyes open, but darkness crept in. I had to hold on, for Ethan, Martha, Mia, Ava. Oh my beautiful Ava, I promised her forever but deep down, I knew.  

It was over.