Chapter 13: The Great Escape That Failed Miserably
921 Words
Lee Arden Santos woke up the following morning with one thought:
Escape.
Not run.
Not to flee.
Not exit gracefully.
Just straight-up ESCAPE.
He was in a mafia mansion.
He had dined with a mafia boss.
He had called the said mafia boss Kai.
He had survived.
That meant his luck was about to run out.
So Arden stood in front of the gigantic bedroom door, cracked his knuckles, and whispered:
"Operation: Home Sweet Home begins.
He grabbed up a pillow and used it as a riot shield.
Step 1: Open door.
Step 2: Run
Step 3: Avoid hot bodyguards.
Step 4: Pray
Step 5: Run again.
"Easy," he said confidently, as if confidence could stop bullets.
He twisted the doorknob.
It didn’t move.
"…Of course. Locked." Arden sighed.
But Arden Santos was nothing if not stubborn.
He slammed his shoulder against the door.
Nothing.
He kicked it.
Nothing.
He threw the pillow at it.
Thud.
Still nothing.
“WHY IS THIS DOOR BUILT LIKE THOR'S HAMMER?!” he yelled.
Then he remembered something from movies:
Check windows.
Turning to the gigantic floor-to-ceiling window, he gasped dramatically.
“Freedom!”
He sprinted toward it.
Slammed his hands on it.
And—
It wouldn’t budge.
“Bulletproof?! Who the hell bulletproofs a WINDOW in a BEDROOM-oh wait. Mafia. Right.”
He pressed his forehead to the glass.
Down below in the courtyard… Six bodyguards were patrolling with walkie-talkies.
One looked up.
Arden froze.
The guard waved politely.
Arden waved back awkwardly.
Escape Plan A: Dead
Escape Plan B: Also dead.
Escape Plan C: Improvised. Dangerous. Stupid. Perfect.
He opened the closet, hoping that something useful might be in there.
What he found was worse.
Inside, neatly hung, were clothes: shirts, jackets, pants-all his size.
And one hoodie that said:
PROPERTY OF KAI
Arden gasped and backed up like it had bitten him.
“What—WHO—WHY—WHAT—HOW—NO—NO—NO."
He slammed the closet shut.
"This is kidnapping with STYLE."
Just then—
Click.
The bedroom door unlocked.
Arden spun around, his pillow raised like a weapon.
Kaito walked in.
Calm.
Cold.
Perfectly put together.
Arden screamed inwardly but was externally polite.
“Kai! Good… morning! You look… terrifying as usual!”
Kaito ignored the comment and eyed the pillow Arden was clutching.
“Is that what you're going to fight me with?
Arden concealed the pillow behind his back.
“No.”
Kaito stared.
Arden cracked.
“Yes.”
Kai sighed.
"Breakfast," he said simply. "Follow me."
Arden followed because he did not want to be dragged like a sack of potatoes again.
--
The Hallway of Doom
Arden noticed something strange.
Every bodyguard they passed bowed to Kaito.
…
And stared at Arden.
Not in a who is this kid? way.
But in something special way.
Why is the boss letting him walk freely? Why isn't the boss killing him? Why is the boss a bit softer when he talks to him?
Arden wanted to melt.
After the fifth bodyguard stare, he whispered:
"Do they think I'm dangerous? Because I'm not. I'm allergic to conflict. And gluten. And… scary men in coats."
Kai didn't even look at him. "You talk too much in the morning."
"It's a coping mechanism."
___
The breakfast table was worse than dinner.
There were pastries, eggs, bacon, fruits, toast, and even a chef in the corner who looked like he was cooking for some sort of royal family.
Arden sat stiffly.
Kai sat gracefully.
Behind them stood bodyguards motionless as statues.
Arden took a croissant to calm his soul.
Kai sipped his coffee.
Then Arden remembered: The Great Escape.
He leaned in, whispering like a gossiping tita.
“So… hypothetically speaking… if I wanted to… um… go home… when can I… do that? Asking for a friend. The friend is me. I wanna go home.”
Kai didn’t immediately respond.
He set down his cup.
Regarded Arden with calm, dangerous eyes.
And said: “You tried to escape, didn’t you?”
Arden choked on his croissant.
“No I— maybe—yes—how did you know?!”
You yelled "OPERATION: HOME SWEET HOME" in the security footage.
Arden blushed.
“YOU HAVE CAMERAS?!”
"This is a mafia mansion, Arden."
“Oh. Right.”
Kai took a bite of food.
“You can go home."
Arden froze.
“…I can?”
“Yes.”
Arden practically sparkled.
"Like… freely? Without handcuffs? Without being chased? Without getting shot?"
“Yes.”
Arden sniffed dramatically.
“Freedom… I missed you—”
Kai raised a finger.
“But.”
Arden's soul left his body.
Kai continued, calm and final: "you will return”
Arden blinked.
"Return? Here? To THIS mansion?"
“Yes.”
“Why?!” Kai looked him dead in the eyes. "Because you have seen too much."
Arden screamed inwardly. “I TOLD YOU I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING-MY EYES WERE CLOSED-I AM LEGALLY BLIND-"
Kai bent forward. “Arden.”
“Yes?”
"You talk too much." Arden deflated in defeat.
- Escort Squad By the time Arden was allowed to leave, Kai had assigned bodyguards to escort him home.
Not one.
Not two.
Four.
Arden protested. Loudly. “I LOOK LIKE I'M BEING ARRESTED—NOT ESCORTED—WHAT WILL MY MOM THINK?!”
One bodyguard whispered: “She may think you’re… important.”
Arden dramatically put a hand to his chest.
"I am important. Wow. This is the happiest kidnapping of my life."
- Writer
