Chapter 6 - The Unlikely Ally
Leo kicked his legs wildly, fighting like a trapped animal against the massive man holding him hostage.
The man quickly dragged him into a dark linen closet and finally pulled his hand away from the boy's mouth.
Leo spun around, raising his fists defensively, only to find himself staring up at Thomas, the family's longtime head butler.
"What are you doing to me?" Leo hissed angrily, backing away until his shoulders hit the closet wall.
"I am trying to save your life, you foolish boy," Thomas replied quietly, his normally stoic face looking incredibly stressed.
Thomas pointed a long, calloused finger toward the bottom crack of the closet door.
Two heavily armed mercenaries walked slowly past the door, their combat boots thudding loudly against the hardwood floor.
If Thomas had not grabbed him, Leo would have walked directly into their line of sight.
"Why should I trust you?" Leo demanded in a harsh whisper, clutching his backpack tightly against his chest.
"Because I am the one who helped your grandfather build the panic room and the secret tunnels," Thomas confessed softly.
The butler reached into his tailored suit jacket and pulled out a heavy ring of brass skeleton keys.
"Your grandfather knew his children were plotting against him, so we faked his death to buy him enough time to gather the evidence."
Leo processed this information quickly, realizing that the car crash had been a completely staged diversion.
"But they found him anyway," Leo concluded, feeling a deep sense of dread settling in his stomach.
"Yes, Richard intercepted our communications and locked him in the cellar, but we can still get him out," Thomas insisted.
The butler cracked the closet door open and checked the hallway before motioning for Leo to follow him closely.
They moved silently through the servant corridors, expertly avoiding the main security cameras that Richard had hacked.
They finally reached the heavy iron door leading directly to the underground wine cellar.
Thomas quickly inserted a brass key and turned the lock, pulling the heavy door open with a loud groan.
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Suddenly, a blinding spotlight clicked on from the top of the stairs behind them, pinning them in a harsh white glow.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the loyal dog and the little rat," Uncle Richard sneered, racking the slide of a sleek black pistol.
