Chapter 7 - The Empty Bed
Leo didn't waste a single second trying to negotiate with the terrifying silhouette standing in the doorway.
He grabbed a heavy bronze bookend from the panic room's desk and hurled it with all his desperate might directly at the attacker's head.
The heavy metal object struck the figure squarely in the shoulder, causing them to grunt in pain and drop the deadly syringe onto the concrete floor.
Taking absolute advantage of the distraction, Leo grabbed Emily’s hand and practically dragged her out of the wheelchair, pulling her frantically through the open doorway.
They slipped past the cursing attacker, darting frantically into the labyrinth of dark, confusing corridors that made up the mansion's massive guest wing.
“Keep moving, don't look back!” Leo whispered fiercely, pulling the terrified girl behind a large marble statue as heavy footsteps thundered past them in the dark.
They navigated the sprawling house entirely by memory, using the faint moonlight bleeding through the massive skylights to guide their desperate escape.
Leo knew the panic room was severely compromised, meaning their only chance for actual survival was reaching Daniel's heavily armed private study on the top floor.
They crept silently up the grand staircase, flinching violently at every agonizing creak the old mahogany wood made under their weight.
When they finally reached the top floor landing, a sudden, blinding flashlight beam swept directly across the hallway, forcing them to dive into the nearest open doorway.
They had accidentally stumbled into Emily’s grand, pink-decorated bedroom, a room she hadn't slept in since the night her mother supposedly died.
Leo locked the heavy wooden door as quietly as possible, pressing his ear against the cold wood to listen for the heavy boots of the security chief.
The footsteps slowly faded away down the long corridor, giving the two terrified children a momentary, desperately needed chance to breathe.
“We have to hide until your dad comes back for us,” Leo whispered, turning around to guide Emily toward the large, walk-in closet.
But as he turned, his heart violently plummeted into his stomach, leaving him frozen in absolute, paralyzing horror.
The room was completely empty, and the massive bay window leading out to the sloping slate roof was wide open, letting the freezing rain pour inside.
Leo frantically searched under the bed and inside the closets, but Emily had completely vanished in the five seconds he had his back turned.
Panicking, Leo rushed to the open window, peering out into the treacherous, rain-slicked darkness hoping to see a sign of her escape.
Instead, resting perfectly on the wet windowsill, held down by a heavy piece of shattered brick, was a crisp, white envelope.
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Leo tore the envelope open with violently shaking hands, pulling out a single sheet of expensive stationary with elegant handwriting.
The note simply read: “If you ever want to see your precious daughter again, Daniel, you will sign over total control of your company to me by midnight.”
