Rain Trigger
1147 Words
The penthouse was a fortress of glass, but even the thickest reinforced panes and glass couldn't keep out the sound from outside. A low, deep noise of thunder rolled across the sky. A storm was coming, and the whole building seemed to shake from the sound.
Liam sat on the edge of the bed. His heart was beating very fast. He had shoved his phone deep into the pillowcase the second Silas had walked into the room.
The air was thick with the scent of Silas—rain-water, expensive tobacco, and a dark, suffocating power.
"I asked you a question, Liam," Silas whispered. He didn't move. He stood in the doorway, blocking the way out. "Why is there a light under your pillow?"
Liam’s mind raced. He had 34 hours to save Leo. If Silas saw that photo of the cage, the mission wouldn't just be over—Liam would be dead. He began to shake. This time, he wasn't acting. He was truly scared.
"It's... it's a flashlight, sir," Liam stammered, his voice shaking.
He reached under the pillow. His fingers touched the cold metal of his secret phone, but he moved past it. Instead, he pulled out a small, cheap plastic light he had kept in his bag. "I don't like the dark. The shadows in this place... they reminded me of things I want to forget."
This was partly true. He was scared of the dark, and he was especially scared of Silas. Silas stepped forward, the light from the hallway catching the sharp line of his jaw. He looked at the small plastic light, then at Liam’s eyes, which were filled with tears. For a long, agonizing moment, Silas said nothing. He just watched Liam very closely, trying to figure out if he was lying.
Suddenly, the sky split open. A flash of lightning illuminated the entire penthouse, turning the dark marble white for a split second. Immediately after, a huge boom of thunder shook the room. It was so loud the floor even vibrated under Liam’s feet.
Liam flinched because of the noise, but Silas did something worse. He pulled back quickly.
The "Ice King" let out a sharp, choked gasp, his hands flying to the door frame to steady himself. In the blue-white light of the storm, Liam saw Silas’s face. The dominance was gone. The arrogance was gone. He looked pale and very terrified. It looked like a fear he had carried for a long time.
"Mr. Thorne?" Liam stood up, the small light falling onto the carpet.
Another loud c***k of thunder shook the room. Silas didn't answer Liam's call. He walked into the hallway, tripping over his own feet. He was breathing very fast and hard. He looked like a man drowning on dry land.
Liam forgot about the phone. He forgot about the ledger.
He followed Silas into the hallway to help. He watched as the billionaire collapsed against the wall outside his private study.
"Mr Thorne!" Liam dropped to his knees beside him.
The rain began to hammer against the glass making a loud drumming sound. Silas put his hands over his ears and tucked his head between his knees. He looked like he was falling apart. Liam reached out, intending to touch Silas’s shoulder. He wanted to offer some form of human warmth to the man who looked so broken.
But before Liam could touch him, Silas snapped. "Don't touch me!"
His voice was full of pain. Silas swung his arm and hit Liam’s hand away. He hit him hard enough to make Liam fall back against the wall. Silas looked up. His eyes were red and wild. He looked at Liam like he was seeing a ghost.
"Get away from me," Silas yelled, his voice trembling. "I don't need your pity. I don't need your help. Go back to your room and stay there!"
Liam froze. His hand hurt where Silas had hit it.
The rejection was cold, sharp, and absolute. He watched as Silas struggled to his feet, his knuckles white as he gripped the wall for support. The "Ice King" was back. He was trying to act tough again, but he was still shaking and breathing hard.
"Sir, you're not well—" Liam tried to say.
"I said go!" Silas shouted. His voice broke as he yelled.
Liam flinched and moved back into his room. He watched through the c***k in the door as Silas stumbled into his private study. Through the glass walls, Liam saw Silas head straight for the bar.
Silas didn't reach for ice. He didn't reach for a glass. He grabbed a bottle of premium vodka. With shaking hands, he poured a large amount into a mug. Then, he put the mug into the small industrial microwave in the corner. It was a very strange thing to do, and Liam had never seen anyone do that before.
When the microwave dinged, Silas pulled out the steaming liquid. He drank the steaming vodka in big gulps. He used the heat of the alcohol to try to forget the icy memory of the rain.
He leaned his forehead against the cold glass of the window, watching the storm. Slowly, his body stopped shaking as the drink started to work. Liam felt a strange, painful ache in his chest as he watched from the dark. He was supposed to hate this man.
He was supposed to ruin him. But seeing Silas Thorne—the most powerful man in the country—drinking hot vodka in the dark just to stop his hands from shaking and stop his fears made Liam feel a deep, unwanted pang of sorrow.
He’s just as much a prisoner in this penthouse as I am, Liam thought.
Liam stayed there, leaning against the door, watching Silas. Silas finally slumped into the oversized leather chair, the mug falling from his hand onto the tile. Only then did Liam go back to his bed. The phone under his pillow felt heavier than ever before.
Liam finally pulled the phone out from under his pillow. He looked at the photo of Leo in the cage. Then he looked at the door. On the other side of the door, the powerful but broken Silas Thorne was passed out in his chair.
"I'm sorry, Silas," Liam whispered to the empty room. "I'm sorry for whatever happened to you. But I have to save my brother."
Liam reached out to turn off his lamp. As he moved, he heard a small clicking sound. He realized that Silas had been too upset to lock the door properly this time. The door was not bolted shut.
Liam looked at the hallway. Silas's office was wide open. No one was guarding the room. The secret safe was right there, waiting for him.
"Tonight," Liam said quietly to himself. "I have to do it tonight."
- Writer
