Chapter 4 - THE MAN INSIDE THE HOUSE -Lily rose from the chair beside Ethan’s bed.
The room fell completely dark.
Only a strip of lightning illuminated the curtains.
Ethan stirred.
“Lily?”
“I’m here.”
She moved quietly toward the door.
The handle would not turn.
Someone had engaged the security lock from the hallway.
Lily picked up the bedside telephone.
The line was dead.
Her cell phone showed no service.
The manor’s signal-blocking system had been activated.
A soft mechanical click came from the ceiling vent.
Lily smelled something bitter.
Gas.
She pulled Ethan from the bed.
“Wake up, sweetheart.”
He opened his eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“We’re going to play a quiet game.”
She wrapped a wet towel around his mouth and nose.
Then she pushed a chair beneath the window.
The windows on the upper floors were designed not to open fully.
Lily struck the glass with a brass lamp.
It cracked but did not break.
She hit it again.
The sound rang through the room.
Ethan began coughing.
The gas was spreading quickly.
Lily forced the lamp against the weakened corner.
The glass shattered outward.
Cold rain rushed inside.
An alarm should have sounded.
Nothing happened.
The entire security system had been compromised.
Lily leaned through the opening.
The stone ledge below the window was narrow.
A decorative balcony extended from the neighboring room.
She could reach it if she crossed twelve feet of wet masonry.
Ethan looked down.
“We’re too high.”
Lily tied two bedsheets together.
She secured one end around the heavy bed frame.
“You’re not going down.”
“You’re coming with me.”
She fastened Ethan against her back with the remaining sheet.
His arms locked around her shoulders.
“Close your eyes.”
Lily climbed through the broken window.
Rain struck her face.
The wind pulled at her uniform.
The drop below was three stories.
She placed one foot on the ledge.
Then the other.
Behind them, gas curled from the bedroom.
Ethan buried his face against her neck.
Lily moved sideways, pressing her body against the wet stone.
Halfway to the balcony, a light appeared in the room they were approaching.
A man stepped into view.
He wore a gray suit.
Julian Blackwood.
Lily recognized him from the security footage.
He opened the balcony door and watched her struggle.
“You’re very devoted for an employee.”
Lily stopped.
Julian held a pistol at his side.
“Climb inside.”
She looked down.
There was nowhere else to go.
She stepped onto the balcony.
Julian pulled Ethan from her back.
The boy screamed.
“Let him go!”
Lily lunged.
Julian struck her across the face with the pistol.
Pain exploded near her temple.
She fell against the railing.
Ethan kicked and twisted.
Julian grabbed him by the collar.
“Be still.”
“You’re frightening him,” Lily said.
“That is the purpose.”
He forced them into the room.
Vanessa stood near the fireplace wearing a dry coat.
The tears and panic from earlier were gone.
“You made a terrible mistake,” she told Lily.
“You should have allowed me to finish disciplining him.”
Lily wiped blood from her lip.
“You mean breaking him.”
Vanessa smiled.
“Children recover.”
“Companies do not.”
Julian crossed to a hidden control panel.
On the monitor, the timer beneath the greenhouse continued counting down.
Adrian and Marcus were attempting to disconnect the device.
Julian enlarged the image.
“My brother always believed he was the intelligent one.”
“He never understood that intelligence means knowing where people are weak.”
Vanessa touched Ethan’s hair.
He recoiled.
“His weakness was Claire.”
“Then it became the boy.”
“And now it appears to be the maid.”
Lily stared at her.
“You killed Claire.”
Vanessa laughed softly.
“Claire was far more difficult to kill than expected.”
Julian shot her a warning look.
Lily noticed.
“She survived.”
Neither answered.
Ethan began crying.
“Where is my mommy?”
Vanessa leaned close to him.
“Somewhere very dark.”
Lily shoved Vanessa away.
Julian raised the pistol.
“That was your final warning.”
A loud boom shook the house.
The gas system activated in the west wing.
Julian watched the monitors.
“Your bedroom will ignite first.”
“Then the fire will spread through the family quarters.”
“The newspapers will report a tragic accident.”
“Adrian will be blamed for leaving faulty systems unrepaired.”
“What about us?” Lily asked.
“You and the child will disappear.”
Vanessa glanced at Julian.
“That was not the plan.”
“The boy was supposed to remain.”
“He has seen too much.”
Vanessa’s face changed.
“You promised I would become his guardian.”
“I promised you control of his shares.”
“There are other ways.”
She stepped backward.
For the first time, Lily saw fear between the conspirators.
Their alliance was beginning to fracture.
Julian unlocked a drawer and removed a syringe.
Vanessa grabbed his wrist.
“What is that?”
“A sedative.”
“For whom?”
Julian looked at her.
Vanessa released him.
Lily understood immediately.
Julian had never intended to share power with Vanessa.
He needed her only long enough to marry Adrian.
Afterward, she would suffer an accident too.
Lily spoke carefully.
“He’s going to kill you.”
“Shut up,” Vanessa said.
“You know it’s true.”
Julian pointed the pistol at Lily.
“One more word.”
A sound came from inside the wall behind the fireplace.
Three slow knocks.
Everyone turned.
Julian frowned.
The knocks came again.
Ethan stopped crying.
He whispered one word.
“Mommy.”
The hidden panel beside the fireplace moved outward.
A pale woman stepped from the darkness.
Her hair was streaked with gray.
A scar crossed the left side of her face.
But Adrian’s late wife was unmistakably alive.
May you like
Claire Blackwood raised a pistol in both hands.
“Put my son down.”
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