Chapter 5: The Siege of Lancaster Estate
945 Words
The red emergency lights pulsed down here like a dying heartbeat. On the console, it said it plain: DATA TRANSMISSION COMPLETE.
Dominic’s radio cracked again. "Sir! They’re past the courtyard. Raymond’s saying he’s got a federal warrant. Child welfare and corporate assets. He’s headed for the main house!"
"Hold them at the lobby elevator," Dominic said. His voice was flat. Too calm. He clipped the radio to his belt and turned. The shock was gone. Now he was all edges again.
Cynthia was still on the floor, holding Leo tight. Toby stood next to her like a little guard dog.
"Up," Dominic said. He pulled her to her feet by the elbow. "Raymond’s been waiting three years for me to slip. If he sees Toby, he won’t just go for Leo. He’ll say I committed fraud. That I’m unstable. That I shouldn’t have voting shares."
Cynthia’s hands shook as she straightened Leo’s jacket. "He brought cops, Dominic. If they search, they’ll find Toby’s passport. My real ID. We’re trapped."
"Not in my house." His eyes went hard. He looked at both boys. "Leo. Toby. Look at me." They did. For once Leo didn’t flinch. Something had shifted between him and his dad in the last ten minutes. "You two just cracked the security grid in sixty seconds," Dominic said. No smile. No praise. Just orders. "Now you’re going to do a swap. Leo, give Toby your jacket. Toby, lose the t-shirt. You walk out there as the Lancaster heir. Leo, you go with your mom."
Toby didn’t even blink. He pulled off his dusty shirt and took Leo’s blazer. "What’s the plan?" he asked, and he even copied Dominic’s tone.
"Don’t talk," Dominic said. A ghost of a smirk. "Mute. If Raymond talks to you, look through him like he’s nothing. Can you do that?"
"Easiest game ever," Toby muttered, fixing the lapels.
Cynthia grabbed Dominic’s arm. "What about me? What about Leo? Where do we go?"
"Harrison!"
The butler appeared with a ring of old brass keys. "Take Cynthia and Leo through the wine cellar," Dominic said. "There’s a tunnel under it. Goes to the old boathouse on the north river. My boat’s there. Take them to the downtown safehouse."
"Dominic, no," Cynthia said. The thought of leaving Toby hit like a punch. "I’m not leaving him."
Dominic stepped in close. The red lights made shadows across his face. He put his hands on her shoulders. "You kept him safe for six years," he said quietly. "Trust me for six hours. If Raymond thinks he’s Leo, he can’t touch him. I’ll handle the police. Now go." He didn’t wait. He took Toby’s hand and walked toward the elevator.
"Miss Thorne," Harrison said softly, tugging her sleeve. "We have maybe three minutes before they override the elevators."
Cynthia looked down at Leo. He was staring up at her, small hand in hers. She couldn’t be in two places. She swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay. Lead the way."
The wine cellar was cold. Smelled like stone and old wood. Harrison led them with one flashlight. Behind them, boots were pounding in the elevator shafts. The house was being taken. They stopped at a heavy wooden door behind a wine rack. Harrison forced the key in and shoved until it groaned open. Dark tunnel. Black all the way.
"Half a mile straight," Harrison whispered. "Ladder at the end. Boathouse. Boat code is 0-9-2-7. Go."
"Thank you," Cynthia whispered. She looked at Leo. "Adventure time, sweetie?"
Leo nodded once. Serious. Brave. They stepped in and the door shut behind them.
Upstairs was chaos. Blue and red lights filled the atrium. Six cops. And in the middle, was Raymond Lancaster in a slate-gray suit. Same sharp jaw as Dominic but meaner eyes.
"Dominic!" Raymond called out, voice bouncing off the marble. "Don’t bother with lawyers. The Board suspended you. And I’ve got an order saying you’re unfit to care for the Lancaster heir."
The elevator chimed.
Dominic stepped out. Sleeves rolled. Face blank. And beside him, Toby. Perfect suit. Perfect posture. Silent.
"Raymond," Dominic said. His voice cut through the noise. "You’re trespassing. And you look ridiculous."
Raymond smiled like oil. He held up papers. "The mainframe broadcasted a failure. We have reports of an unregistered kid living here. I’m taking Leo into state custody."
He reached for Toby’s shoulder. "Come here, Leo." Toby didn’t move nor did he speak. He just stared right through him.
"Touch my son," Dominic said softly, "and I’ll sue you into the ground."
Raymond laughed. "I don’t need to touch him." He turned to the police captain. "Check the bracelet. Leo has a medical tracker in his watch. Silver. Unique ID. If this isn’t him, then Dominic’s hiding a fraud."
Dominic’s jaw ticked. He’d forgotten. Leo left the watch in his room. Toby’s wrist was bare. The captain pulled out a scanner. "Mr. Lancaster. Step aside. We need to verify the child."
Half a mile away, Cynthia hauled herself up a rusty ladder and pushed open a trapdoor. Cold air hit her. River sounds below. She pulled Leo up after her. The boathouse was damp and dark. Dominic’s black speedboat sat in the slip.
"Almost there," she whispered. Her fingers shook as she typed: 0-9-2-7. The engines roared to life. She reached for the ropes.
Then the lights snapped on.
Cynthia threw an arm over her eyes. On the walkway above, three men in black tactical gear had rifles pointed right at her.
A cold voice echoed down.
"Step away from the boat, Miss Thorne. The old man sent us. We collect what belongs to the family. And we don’t leave loose ends."
- Writer
