Chapter 3 - The Dark Descent
Arthur slowly backed away from the hallway while holding Sophie tightly against his rapidly beating chest.
David confidently stepped further into the large kitchen with the heavy wooden bat resting comfortably on his broad shoulder.
"Please just make this incredibly easy for all of us, Arthur."
Vanessa walked up gracefully beside the smiling lawyer and crossed her arms confidently over her chest.
"We just need you to quickly sign the life insurance transfer forms and the corporate equity release documents."
Arthur glared with pure hatred at the man who had been his absolute best friend for the last ten years.
"How could you possibly betray us like this after everything we have built together?"
David shrugged his broad shoulders casually without showing even a single tiny hint of human remorse.
"You simply have way too much money for one single man to hoard."
Sophie buried her tear-stained face deep into Arthur's warm neck and began to sob hysterically once again.
Arthur frantically scanned the dim kitchen environment looking desperately for any kind of improvised weapon.
The sharp chef's knife block was sitting all the way across the massive island and completely out of his immediate reach.
David easily noticed his panicked eyes darting frantically around the enclosed room.
"Do not try anything incredibly stupid that will get you hurt."
Arthur intelligently knew he could not successfully fight a large armed man while simultaneously holding a crying child.
He had to temporarily swallow his massive pride to protect his little girl at all costs.
"Fine, you win."
Arthur deliberately lowered his tone of voice to sound completely defeated and thoroughly broken.
"Where exactly are these legal papers you need me to sign?"
Vanessa smugly pulled a very thick manila folder from her expensive black designer purse.
"They are waiting for you down in the basement security office."
She pointed her silver pistol directly toward the heavy solid oak door located at the very end of the hallway.
"Move your feet right now."
Arthur slowly and cautiously walked toward the basement stairs while trying to keep Sophie shielded from the weapons.
He suddenly felt the freezing cold barrel of a loaded gun press painfully into his lower spine.
He nervously glanced backward over his shoulder and saw Vanessa aiming the silver pistol with professional precision.
"Remember to make absolutely no sudden movements."
They carefully walked down the creaky wooden stairs into the pitch-black, freezing basement.
The stagnant air down there was terribly cold and smelled strongly of damp concrete and old dust.
As soon as Arthur finally stepped off the very last wooden stair, David violently shoved him hard from behind.
Arthur quickly twisted his falling body in mid-air to take the brutal impact and protect Sophie as they hit the concrete floor.
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The heavy solid oak door violently slammed shut at the very top of the wooden stairs.
The thick metal deadbolt clicked loudly into place, instantly locking them completely inside the total darkness.
