Chapter 5 - The Hedge Maze
Robert slowly lowered his weapon to the floor, his heart hammering violently against his ribs.
He begged Marcus not to hurt his wife or the innocent child.
Marcus kicked Robert's pistol far out of reach across the polished hardwood floor.
He explained that Silas had ordered him to infiltrate Robert's life over a decade ago.
They had been waiting patiently for the perfect moment to steal the Ellington fortune.
Marcus revealed that they had faked the DNA test results using the private investigator.
Sam was not Robert's son, but rather a randomly selected orphan used as the perfect bait.
They wanted to destroy Robert's marriage and reputation before legally seizing his assets.
Elizabeth glared at the traitor, her fierce pride refusing to let her show any fear.
She told Marcus that he was nothing but a pathetic pawn in a rich man's game.
Marcus sneered and violently shoved Elizabeth's wheelchair backward into the wall.
Elizabeth gasped in pain as her shoulder slammed hard against the expensive wood paneling.
Robert roared in absolute anger and lunged aggressively toward his former friend.
Marcus easily sidestepped the attack and struck Robert viciously across the jaw with his gun.
Robert collapsed to the ground, tasting fresh blood and struggling to remain conscious.
Marcus aggressively grabbed little Sam by the collar of his shirt and dragged him toward the patio doors.
He announced that he was taking the boy to Silas, and they would return to finish Robert later.
Marcus shattered the glass patio door with his boot and dragged the screaming child into the night.
Robert forced himself to his feet, ignoring the agonizing pain radiating through his skull.
He grabbed his discarded weapon from the floor and sprinted out into the freezing rain.
He saw Marcus dragging Sam toward the estate's massive, sprawling hedge maze.
The maze was an incredibly complex labyrinth of towering, impenetrable evergreen bushes.
Robert plunged recklessly into the dark, twisting corridors of the maze.
Thunder crashed loudly overhead, masking the sounds of the kidnapper's footsteps.
Robert navigated the confusing paths solely by memory, desperate to intercept Marcus.
He finally rounded a sharp corner and found Marcus standing in the center courtyard of the maze.
Marcus held Sam tightly against his chest, pressing the barrel of his gun to the boy's head.
He laughed into the storm, taunting Robert to take a shot in the dark.
Robert aimed his weapon, but his hands were shaking too violently to risk hitting Sam.
Suddenly, a blinding spotlight from the mansion's roof illuminated the entire courtyard.
Elizabeth had crawled to the security control panel and activated the emergency floodlights.
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The sudden, intense light completely blinded Marcus for a crucial, split second.
In that exact moment, a deafening gunshot rang out from the entrance of the courtyard.
