Chapter 3 - The Shadow in the Glass
The masked man stood completely still on the manicured lawn, staring directly up at the nursery window.
Arthur instinctively stepped back into the shadows, pulling Leo tightly against his chest.
"They cut the phone lines and jammed the cellular signal," Arthur whispered, his voice tight with rising panic.
Clara pulled the heavy velvet curtains shut, plunging the nursery into the eerie, flashing red glow of the alarm system.
"Vivian must have hired him to finish the job," Clara said, her voice shaking as she locked the nursery door.
Arthur handed the crying baby to Clara and walked over to the heavy oak dresser.
He reached behind the top drawer and pulled out a sleek, black handgun, checking the magazine with practiced efficiency.
"I am not going to let anyone hurt my son," Arthur stated, his eyes hardening with fierce determination.
"Lock yourselves in the master bathroom panic room and do not open the door for anyone but me."
Clara nodded frantically, holding Leo close as she quietly slipped into the adjoining hallway.
She moved through the dark master suite, the flashing red lights making the shadows dance violently against the walls.
She reached the massive master bathroom and pressed her hand against the hidden biometric scanner disguised as a mirror.
The heavy steel door of the panic room clicked open, and Clara rushed inside, sealing the vault behind her.
Inside, the room was cool, silent, and stocked with emergency supplies, completely cutting off the blaring alarm outside.
Clara sat on the floor, rocking Leo gently until he finally fell asleep against her shoulder.
Minutes felt like grueling, endless hours as she waited in the terrifying silence of the steel vault.
Suddenly, a loud, metallic bang echoed from the other side of the panic room door.
Clara stopped breathing, her eyes glued to the heavy steel handle of the vault.
"Clara, open the door, it's me!" Arthur's voice shouted, sounding frantic and breathless.
Clara stood up and pressed her hand to the scanner, allowing the heavy steel door to swing open.
Arthur stood in the doorway, his shirt torn and a nasty bruise forming along his jawline.
"I fought him off, but he managed to escape through the basement windows," Arthur panted, leaning heavily against the doorframe.
"Is he gone for good?" Clara asked, feeling a brief wave of intense relief wash over her.
"Yes, but I found out how Vivian managed to disable the security gates and cut the phone lines," Arthur said grimly.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a heavy, brass skeleton key that belonged to the mansion's original architectural set.
"This is the master override key, and there is only one person besides me who had access to it."
Arthur looked at Clara, his expression filled with a horrifying realization.
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"Vivian didn't hire a stranger to break into our home tonight, Clara."
"The man I just fought in the hallway was my own head of security."
