The entire hall froze in sheer horror as Arthur stood on the stage with the loaded gun raised, his hand trembling with rage. But Tyler didn't back down. He grabbed the shattered edge of the casket lid and pulled it open with all his strength, exposing the interior to the bright ceiling lights overhead.
Lying inside the hollowed-out casket was Sarah, bound tightly around her arms and legs with thick nylon ropes, with heavy silver duct tape pulled firmly over her mouth. Her eyes were open, filled with tears, and her chest rose and fell in heavy, distressed panicked gasps. She was alive, trapped inside the hidden coffin just hours away from being driven across state lines to a hidden facility.
The crowd gasped in absolute utter horror. Several city officials and police officers who had been attending the service immediately drew their own sidearms, aiming them straight at Arthur's chest. The local sheriff pushed through the panic, his face dark with shock and embarrassment as he realized what Arthur had done right under his nose.
Sheriff: Drop the weapon, Arthur! Put it down right now!
Arthur: Stay back! She ruined everything! That money was mine!
Tyler: It was never yours, Arthur! You lost!
Realizing he was completely trapped with dozens of witnesses staring directly at his crime, Arthur lowered the gun slowly as two officers tackled him to the floor, slamming his face against the polished hardwood stage and snapping heavy steel handcuffs around his wrists. Tyler dropped the crowbar and immediately pulled the silver tape off his sister's mouth, cutting the thick ropes with a small pocket knife passed to him by a brave bystander.