Chapter 10 - WHEN THE HOUSE WENT DARK
Mia woke screaming.
Elena held her tight.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
Emergency lights flickered on.
Red.
Dim.
Damian grabbed his phone.
No signal.
Security radios crackled.
Then died.
Harris drew his weapon.
“Everyone away from windows.”
Damian’s security chief ran in.
“Backup generator isn’t responding.”
“Cut?”
“Looks like it.”
The estate suddenly felt enormous.
Forty-two rooms.
Dozens of hallways.
Too many doors.
Too many shadows.
Elena carried Mia toward the interior safe room.
Then a sound echoed from the west corridor.
Glass breaking.
Harris raised his weapon.
“Stay here.”
Damian followed him.
Elena grabbed his arm.
“Where are you going?”
“This is my house.”
“That doesn’t make you bulletproof.”
He looked at her hand gripping his sleeve.
For a strange half second, neither moved.
Then another crash.
Damian pulled away.
“Get Mia somewhere safe.”
Elena watched him disappear into the hallway.
She hated him for going.
Mostly because she was afraid he wouldn’t come back.
Robert sat shaking near the fireplace.
Elena turned.
“Where would Preston enter?”
“I don’t know.”
“You said he knows the house.”
“He studied plans.”
“Which plans?”
“Renovation blueprints.”
Elena’s mind raced.
The old service tunnels.
The mansion had once belonged to a railroad family.
There was an underground delivery corridor connecting the kitchen, wine cellar and east garage.
Almost nobody used it.
Elena looked at Robert.
“The cellar.”
His eyes widened.
“What?”
She handed Mia to Monica.
“Take her to the safe room.”
“No.”
Mia grabbed Elena.
“Mama!”
Elena kissed her forehead.
“I’ll be back.”
“No!”
“Mia.”
The child started crying.
“I don’t want pretty lady to take you.”
Elena’s throat closed.
“She won’t.”
“Promise?”
Elena hesitated.
Then forced herself to say it.
“Promise.”
Monica carried Mia away.
Elena grabbed a heavy flashlight and ran toward the kitchen stairs.
She knew the house better than anyone.
That mattered.
At the bottom of the cellar stairs, she heard voices.
Male.
One.
Then another.
Elena turned off the flashlight.
Footsteps approached.
She pressed herself behind a stone column.
A man crossed the corridor.
Not Preston.
One of his men.
He carried a gun.
Elena held her breath.
He passed.
She slipped the other way.
Then she heard Vanessa.
“Preston, stop.”
Elena froze.
The voice came from the old wine room.
“You’re done giving orders,” a man answered.
“You said nobody gets hurt.”
“You believed that?”
“I’m leaving.”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
Elena crept closer.
Through a crack in the door she saw Vanessa.
Her dress was torn.
Blood marked one sleeve.
Across from her stood Preston Vale holding a pistol.
Vanessa looked terrified.
For the first time, Elena almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
Preston said, “Damian dies. The fraud lands on Elena. We disappear.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“No.”
“You grew a conscience?”
“No. I grew a brain.”
Preston laughed.
“You don’t have one without me.”
Vanessa’s expression changed.
Then she saw Elena through the crack.
Their eyes met.
Elena froze.
Vanessa didn’t expose her.
Instead, she said loudly,
“You know what your problem is, Preston?”
“What?”
“You talk too much.”
May you like
Then Vanessa grabbed a wine bottle and smashed it across his face.
The gun fired.
