Chapter 3 - The Secret Tunnels
The entire family screamed and dropped to the floor as Marcus waved the loaded gun.
"You hit him in the study, didn't you?" I asked, shielding my dying grandfather with my own body.
"He caught me trying to copy the master ledger, so I had to improvise," Marcus admitted without a shred of remorse.
"The poison in his wine was just a necessary backup plan to ensure I took control of the company tonight."
He cocked the hammer of the pistol and took a menacing step toward Sofia.
"The old man gave you the safe combination, Sofia, so give it to me right now," Marcus demanded.
Sofia backed away, her hands trembling as she bumped against the heavy wooden serving cart.
"I will never give it to you," she stated defiantly, her chin held high in the face of death.
Marcus aimed the gun directly at her head and began to squeeze the trigger.
Without thinking, I grabbed a heavy silver carving knife from the table and hurled it at my uncle.
The blade struck Marcus deep in the shoulder, causing him to scream and drop his weapon.
"Run, Sofia," I yelled, tackling my wounded uncle to the ground before he could recover the gun.
Sofia did not run toward the locked double doors.
Instead, she pushed a specific sequence of wooden panels on the grand fireplace mantel.
The heavy stone fireplace violently swung open, revealing a dark, narrow secret passageway hidden within the walls.
"Julian, bring him, hurry," Sofia screamed from the dark entrance of the tunnel.
I grabbed my grandfather by the shoulders and dragged his heavy, unconscious body across the floor.
My aunt Beatrice tried to grab my leg, screaming that I was stealing her inheritance.
I kicked her away and pulled Ernesto into the dusty, pitch-black corridor just as Sofia slammed the stone door shut.
We could hear Marcus pounding furiously on the wall from the other side, roaring in absolute fury.
"We need to find the underground bunker, the antidote is in his private medical bay," Sofia explained quickly.
She pulled a small flashlight from her pocket, illuminating the terrifying, spider-infested tunnel.
We dragged Ernesto for what felt like hours, descending deeper and deeper beneath the massive estate.
Finally, we reached a heavy steel door marked with a biometric fingerprint scanner.
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I pressed Ernesto's thumb against the glowing green glass, praying he was still alive enough for it to register.
The door hissed open, but instead of an empty medical bay, we found five armed mercenaries waiting for us inside.
