Chapter 6 - Betrayal in the Rain
Arthur Pendelton took two slow, measured steps into the quiet vault, his gold-headed cane clicking sharply against the polished marble floor.
"Remarkable," Arthur said, his voice a smooth, cultured baritone that dripped with condescension. "A twelve-year-old boy, breaking into a Grade-A bank vault to retrieve his dead father's ghost. Thomas always did have an absurd flair for the dramatic."
I clutched the heavy black metal tray against my chest, backing up until my spine hit the cold steel of the deposit boxes.
"Stay away from me," I choked out, my voice trembling.
"Give me the tray, Leo," Richard growled, stepping forward, his face bruised and swollen where my hammer had struck him. "You ruined my life yesterday. If you don't hand that drive over right now, I swear to God I'll make sure your mother dies for real this time—and it won't be in a comfortable casket."
"Richard, quiet," Arthur commanded coolly, raising a single gloved finger. "We are gentlemen here. Leo, my boy, you are outmatched. Outside this bank, two dozen of my men have surrounded the perimeter. Detective Reed is currently being disarmed in his vehicle."
My heart stopped. "Marcus?"
"Detective Reed was ambitious, but predictable," Arthur smiled thinly. "He thought his precinct captain was his ally. He didn't realize Captain Harris has been on my payroll for fifteen years. Marcus is currently in handcuffs."
Tears of frustration and terror filled my eyes. We had failed.
"Now," Arthur said gently, extending his gloved hand. "Hand over the drive. And perhaps I will let you live out your days in an overseas boarding school."
I looked at the heavy metal tray in my hands. I looked at the dark ceiling above us.
High above the vault floor was a bright red fire suppression sprinkler head, equipped with a emergency glass thermal bulb.
I didn't hand Arthur the tray.
Instead, I raised the heavy steel crowbar I was still holding in my right hand, leaped onto the vault counter, and struck the brass sprinkler valve with all my strength!
CRACK!
The glass bulb shattered.
BZZZZZZT!
High-decibel emergency alarms roared across the entire bank complex!
FOOOOOOSH!
Thousands of gallons of black, pressurized industrial fire-suppression foam and cold water exploded from the ceiling vents, drenching the entire vault in a blinding, roaring deluge!
"AGH! My suit!" Arthur screamed, losing his balance on the slick marble floor.
"Shoot him!" Richard yelled, blinded by the black foam spraying into his eyes.
The guards fired blindly through the torrential spray of water and foam.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Bullets struck the steel deposit boxes, sparking wildly.
I ducked beneath the blinding waterfall of cold water, clutching the hard drive and documents inside my raincoat, and bolted through the vault's rear service door into the dark boiler conduit!
"He's escaping! Get him!" Richard roared behind me.
I sprinted through the dark, wet tunnel, my lungs burning, cold water soaking my clothes. I reached the ventilation shaft, scrambled up the cat-walk ladder like a wild animal, jammed my crowbar into the iron grate above, and kicked it open!
I burst out onto the sidewalk of 4th Street into the pouring rain!
Pedestrians were screaming, running everywhere as the bank's outdoor fire sirens blared across the financial district.
"Leo!" a voice roared from across the street.
I looked up.
A black police SUV had slammed to a halt at the curb. The driver's door flew open, and Marcus Reed—his face bruised, wearing broken handcuffs on one wrist—leaped out, holding a shotgun!
"Get in!" Marcus yelled over the roaring sirens.
I sprinted across the four lanes of traffic, dodging honking yellow cabs, and dove into the back seat of the SUV!
Sitting in the passenger seat, holding a 9mm pistol, was my mother!
"Leo!" Claire sobbed, throwing her arms around me as Marcus slammed the SUV into reverse, tires burning rubber against the wet asphalt as we tore away from the bank!
Behind us, Richard and two tactical guards burst out of the bank's side entrance, firing automatic pistols into the rain!
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Bullets struck the armored rear tailgate of our SUV, shattering the back window into a web of white safety glass.
Marcus spun the wheel violently, drifting the heavy vehicle around the corner of 5th Avenue, plunging us into the thick afternoon traffic gridlock.
"Did you get it?!" Marcus shouted over his shoulder, blood running down his neck.
I pulled the wet, black hard drive and the cassette tape out from my raincoat, holding them up.
"I got everything," I panted, wiping rain and black foam from my eyes.
Claire pulled me into her lap, kissing my face over and over, weeping with relief. "My brave boy... my hero..."
"Marcus," I gasped, looking at his bleeding face. "Arthur Pendelton said Captain Harris turned you in!"
"Harris tried," Marcus gritted his teeth, shifting gears as we wove through an intersection. "I broke his nose with my handcuffs and stole his armored vehicle. But the entire state police force is hunting us now. They've issued an Amber Alert for you, Leo, claiming Claire kidnapped you!"
"Where do we go?" Claire asked, her voice tight with fear.
May you like
Marcus looked in the rearview mirror at the flashing red-and-blue lights appearing three blocks behind us in the rain.
"We go to the place where Arthur Pendelton feels most untouchable," Marcus said, his eyes turning to cold steel. "The Parker Estate. It's time to play our final card."
