Chapter 8 - THE FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK
The darkness was sudden and absolute. The heavy curtains of the east parlor blocked out the streetlights, turning the massive room into a black void.
Rosa gasped, instinctively tightening her grip on the sleeping child in her arms. "Ethan?"
"I'm right here," Ethan’s voice was instantly beside her. He grabbed her free hand, his grip warm and fiercely protective. "Don't move. Stay behind the piano."
The heavy, rhythmic sound of combat boots echoed from the hallway. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Whoever it was, they weren't trying to hide. They moved with the terrifying confidence of someone who knew exactly where they were going.
"Arthur must have had a backup team waiting outside," Ethan whispered close to Rosa’s ear, pulling her down so they were crouching behind the solid mahogany body of the grand piano. "When the guards took him, they triggered the blackout."
"What do they want?" Rosa’s voice shook.
"The flash drive," Ethan said grimly. "And the ledger. If they destroy the evidence, Arthur can disappear again."
Lily stirred against Rosa’s shoulder, letting out a soft, sleepy whimper.
"Shh, baby, it's a game," Rosa murmured in the dark, tears springing to her eyes. "We're playing hide and seek. You have to be super quiet, okay?"
Lily buried her face back into Rosa’s neck, going still.
The heavy oak doors of the parlor creaked open.
A beam of bright, blinding white light cut through the darkness, sweeping across the room. The beam hit the crystal chandelier, scattering fractured prisms across the walls. Then, the light lowered, scanning the floor, moving steadily toward the piano.
"Mr. Caldwell." A deep, gravelly voice echoed in the room. "Pass over the ledger and the drive. Nobody has to get hurt tonight. Mr. Vance just wants to protect his investments."
Ethan didn't answer. He carefully reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The screen illuminated his face with a pale blue glow for a fraction of a second before he dimmed it to zero. No cell service. Arthur’s team had activated a signal jammer.
Ethan looked at Rosa. Even in the dim light, he could see the terror in her eyes. Four years ago, she had sacrificed everything to protect her father. Today, she had risked everything to protect him. He would die before he let anyone take anything else from her.
Ethan leaned in, his lips brushing against Rosa’s ear. "I'm going to draw him away. There is a panic button underneath the piano bench. When I move, push it. It hardwires to the local police precinct. It bypasses the jammers."
"No," Rosa grabbed his arm, her fingers digging into his sleeve. "He has a weapon, Ethan. Don't leave us."
"I will never leave you again," Ethan whispered, kissing her forehead. "I promise."
The flashlight beam hit the edge of the piano bench.
"I know you're back there," the gravelly voice said, taking another step forward. The faint metallic click of a firearm safety being disengaged echoed in the quiet room.
Ethan moved.
He didn't run away. He launched himself directly over the top of the grand piano, a shadow flying through the darkness.
The man with the flashlight yelled in surprise, swinging the beam upward. But Ethan was already on him. The billionaire crashed into the mercenary, sending them both tumbling backward onto the hard marble floor. The flashlight spun away, rolling under a sofa and casting wild, erratic shadows across the room.
"Push it!" Ethan roared as he grappled with the man in the dark.
Rosa scrambled forward on her knees, keeping Lily securely strapped to her body with one arm. She reached under the thick wooden seat of the piano bench. Her fingers frantically searched the smooth wood until she felt a small, raised plastic square.
She pressed it hard. A tiny, silent red light blinked on beneath the bench.
A heavy smack echoed across the room, followed by a grunt of pain from Ethan.
"Ethan!" Rosa screamed.
"Stay down!" Ethan yelled back.
The sound of the struggle was terrifying. Flesh hitting bone, heavy bodies slamming into antique furniture. The man was larger than Ethan, trained for violence. But Ethan was fighting for the two people he loved most in the world.
Rosa couldn't just sit there. She laid Lily gently on the rug beneath the piano. "Stay here, Button. Do not move."
Rosa stood up. She grabbed the heaviest thing she could find in the dark—a solid brass candlestick resting on a side table.
She moved toward the sounds of the struggle, guided by the erratic beam of the rolling flashlight. She saw the mercenary pinning Ethan to the ground, raising a heavy fist to strike him again.
Rosa didn't hesitate. She swung the brass candlestick with every ounce of strength in her body.
It connected with the side of the mercenary's head with a sickening crack.
The massive man went completely limp, collapsing off Ethan and hitting the floor like a sack of stones.
Ethan gasped for air, pushing the unconscious man off his legs. He looked up at Rosa, who was standing over them in the dim light, breathing heavily, the brass candlestick still gripped tightly in her hand.
"Remind me," Ethan panted, wiping a streak of blood from his split lip, "never to make you angry."
Suddenly, the blare of police sirens pierced the quiet night, growing rapidly louder as multiple squad cars breached the estate gates. The panic button had worked.
Ethan slowly stood up. He wrapped his arms around Rosa, pulling her flush against his chest. She dropped the candlestick, burying her face in his shirt, her body shaking violently as the adrenaline crashed.
"It's over," Ethan murmured into her hair, holding her tight. "It's finally over, Rosa."
The backup generators kicked in, and the lights of the east parlor blazed back to life.
From under the piano, a little head popped out. Lily rubbed her eyes, looking at the unconscious man on the floor, then at her parents holding each other.
"Is the hide and seek game done?" Lily asked softly.
May you like
Ethan pulled back from Rosa, a beautiful, broken smile spreading across his bruised face. He walked over to the piano, scooped Lily up into his arms, and held her against his heart.
"Yes, sweetheart," Ethan said, tears freely falling down his cheeks. "The game is done. You don't ever have to hide again."
