Chapter 5 - THE ESCAPE ROUTE
Ethan stood with his back pressed hard against the locked door, his chest heaving heavily.
Maria was huddled in the corner of the dark bedroom, holding the child tightly in her arms.
“Mr. Ethan... what was that sound?” Maria whimpered in sheer horror.
“Was that a gun?”
Ethan didn't answer immediately.
He was listening intensely to the sounds on the other side of the door.
He heard slow, heavy footsteps approaching the guest room.
Then came a polite, soft knock on the door panel.
“Ethan, sweetie,” Eleanor’s voice called out from the darkness outside, smooth and terrifyingly calm.
“Your lawyer friend was very uncooperative.”
“He’s sleeping on the living room rug now.”
“Don't make this harder than it needs to be.”
“Open the door and give me the brass key.”
Ethan felt a terrible knot twist in his stomach.
Marcus was hurt, or worse.
He knew he couldn't open that door, or they would all be killed.
He looked around the dark guest room frantically, searching for a way out.
The guest room was on the twelfth floor of the luxury high-rise building.
The windows were sealed glass panels overlooking the city skyline.
There was no fire escape outside the window.
The only exit was the door Eleanor was currently standing behind.
“Ethan,” Eleanor’s voice sounded closer now, pressed right against the wood.
“I’m going to count to three.”
“If you don't open this door, I will shoot through the lock.”
“One...”
Ethan sprinted toward the corner of the guest room where a service dumbwaiter shaft was located.
It was an old architectural feature of the building, used decades ago to send laundry down to the basement.
He grabbed the metal handle of the dumbwaiter hatch and yanked it open.
The small dark shaft stretched down into complete blackness.
It was narrow, dirty, and dangerous.
“Two...” Eleanor’s voice counted outside.
“Maria, get in!” Ethan whispered urgently, grabbing the maid’s arm.
“It’s too small for you, sir!” Maria gasped, looking down the dark hole in terror.
“It will hold you and the baby!” Ethan insisted, helping her squeeze into the narrow metal compartment.
“Hold onto the central cables tightly!”
“Once you reach the basement, run straight to the main street and find help!”
The little girl whimpered, reaching her arms out for Ethan.
“Daddy, come with us!” she cried softly.
Ethan kissed her forehead gently, tears stinging his eyes.
“I will be right behind you, sweetheart,” Ethan promised.
“I love you. Trust Daddy.”
“Three...” Eleanor said coldly outside.
Ethan slammed the metal dumbwaiter door shut and pulled the mechanical emergency lever beside it.
The pulley system groaned loudly in the wall as the compartment descended rapidly down the dark shaft.
BANG!
The lock on the guest room door shattered as a bullet tore through the wood.
The door swung wide open.
Eleanor stepped into the room, her silver pistol raised, her eyes scanning the dark interior.
The room was completely empty.
The open dumbwaiter hatch fluttered slightly in the draft.
Eleanor walked slowly over to the hatch and looked down into the pitch-black shaft.
She heard the faint sound of the pulley mechanism clicking far below.
A sinister, wicked smile spread across her face.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small black walkie-talkie.
She pressed the side button and spoke into it.
“Team Two, the targets are coming down the service shaft to the basement.”
“Intercept them.”
“Kill the maid, take the child, and secure the perimeter.”
She clicked the walkie-talkie off and turned around slowly to face Ethan, who was standing in the shadows behind the bathroom door, holding a heavy glass vase high in his hands.
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“Did you really think I didn't have men waiting in the basement, Ethan?” Eleanor asked softly, turning her pistol directly toward his chest.
Ethan froze, realizing the nightmare had only just begun.
