Chapter 2 - The Dark Estate
Ethan covered Sophie's mouth gently to keep her from making a sound.
He watched the flashlight beam scan the room from his hiding spot behind the sofa.
Richard raised his pistol toward the hallway where the bloody footprints originated.
A tall man dressed in tactical gear stepped out of the shadows.
The intruder did not say a word as he raised a suppressed submachine gun.
Richard fired two wild shots that shattered a priceless vase on the mantel.
The intruder returned fire, forcing Richard and Celeste to dive behind the dining table.
Ethan realized this mysterious new attacker was not here to save him.
This was a professional hitman hired to eliminate all the loose ends tonight.
Ethan scooped Sophie into his arms and crawled silently toward his home office.
He slipped through the wooden door and locked it quietly behind him.
His home office used to belong to Clara before her sudden and tragic death.
Ethan set Sophie down under the heavy mahogany desk and told her to stay hidden.
He remembered Clara had a hidden floor safe beneath the Persian rug.
He pulled the heavy rug aside and found the metallic dial of the safe.
Ethan spun the dial frantically using the combination of Clara's birthday.
The heavy steel door clicked open with a soft mechanical hiss.
Inside the safe was a thick manila folder labeled with Celeste's name.
Ethan opened the folder and found his late wife's original autopsy report.
The official cause of death was listed as a massive heart attack.
However, Clara had attached a private toxicology report from an independent laboratory.
The private report proved that Clara had been injected with a lethal, untraceable poison.
Ethan felt a sickening wave of nausea wash over his exhausted body.
Celeste and Richard had actually murdered his wife and covered their tracks perfectly.
He stuffed the folder into his jacket pocket and grabbed a heavy bronze paperweight.
He knew they had to escape the estate before the hitman found them.
Ethan opened the office door a fraction of an inch to check the hallway.
The corridor was completely empty, but a thick cloud of smoke was filling the air.
The hitman had set the mansion on fire to destroy all the evidence.
Ethan grabbed Sophie's hand and sprinted toward the door leading to the garage.
May you like
He kicked the door open and rushed toward his armored luxury SUV.
Before he could reach the vehicle, a laser sight suddenly appeared directly on his chest.
