Chapter 7 - THE TRAITOR INSIDE
Ronan killed the lights.
The door opened.
A man stepped in.
Marcus slammed him against the wall.
“Easy!”
The intruder gasped.
It was Dr. Mercer.
“Are you people insane?”
Marcus did not release him.
Ronan looked toward the hallway.
“No guard stopped you?”
Mercer frowned.
“No.”
Marcus’s face changed.
Ronan was already moving.
They ran into the corridor.
The guard station was empty.
A second later, alarms exploded through the house.
“East wing breach!”
Gunfire erupted downstairs.
Ivy grabbed the metal box.
Ronan turned.
“Stay here.”
She looked at him like he had lost his mind.
“I stayed hidden once tonight. Look how well that went.”
“Ivy.”
“You want the tape safe?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’m moving.”
He swore under his breath.
“Fine. With me.”
They raced through the service corridor while Blackwood guards fought intruders near the front entrance.
Ivy had worked in the house for three years.
She knew hallways Ronan barely remembered.
“This way.”
“You sure?”
“I clean your house.”
“Right.”
“You people make messes in very predictable places.”
Despite the gunfire, Marcus laughed.
They reached an old wine cellar.
Ivy locked the door.
Then she noticed something.
A chair had moved.
She had cleaned this room that morning.
The chair had been against the wall.
Now it stood six feet away.
She raised one hand.
“Someone’s here.”
Ronan pulled his weapon.
A figure stepped from behind the shelves.
Emily.
Ivy’s heart stopped.
“Oh my God.”
Emily ran toward her.
“I couldn’t find you.”
Ivy grabbed her.
“How did you get down here?”
“A guard told me this room was safe.”
“What guard?”
Emily hesitated.
“Mr. Bell.”
Ronan and Marcus exchanged a look.
Thomas Bell had managed Blackwood House security for eight years.
He was also Victor’s godson.
Ronan’s face hardened.
“Marcus.”
“On it.”
Before Marcus could call upstairs, his radio crackled.
Bell’s voice came through.
“Boss, we caught the shooters.”
Ronan pressed the button.
“Good.”
“You okay?”
“Perfect.”
Bell paused.
“Where are you?”
Ronan looked at Ivy.
She shook her head.
“Library.”
Another pause.
Then Bell said, “Stay there.”
Ronan turned off the radio.
“Traitor.”
Ivy’s stomach tightened.
Emily started crying.
Ronan lowered his voice.
“We’re getting you both out.”
“How?”
Marcus pointed toward an old tunnel behind the wine racks.
Ivy stared.
“You have a tunnel?”
Ronan shrugged.
“My family was paranoid.”
“Your family was criminal.”
“That too.”
They entered.
The tunnel smelled like dust and stone.
Halfway through, Ronan stopped.
A red light blinked ahead.
Marcus cursed.
“Motion sensor.”
Ronan looked behind them.
Footsteps echoed from the cellar.
Bell had found them.
Then Victor Blackwood’s voice came through the darkness.
“Ronan.”
Ivy froze.
May you like
Victor laughed softly.
“You always were terrible at knowing who to trust.”
