Chapter 6 - THE WARRANTThe Trap Closed from Every DirectionThe mansion became a fortress.
Sylvester's security team locked down the interior.
Victor's men surrounded the exterior.
The false agents demanded that Noah and Anna be surrendered immediately.
Sylvester refused.
Then Victor changed tactics.
A document was pushed through the front door.
A warrant.
It accused Sylvester of unlawfully withholding children from their legal guardian.
The guardian's name was:
EVELYN STALLONE.
Noah stared.
"She owns me?"
Evelyn's face went pale.
"I never wanted this."
Sylvester turned toward her.
"Then why does the document say otherwise?"
"Because Victor changed the guardianship years ago."
His wife stepped forward.
"How?"
Evelyn whispered:
"Your signature."
Sylvester stared.
"You forged my signature?"
"I was ordered to."
"By Victor?"
"Yes."
Outside, Victor's voice echoed.
"You have five minutes."
Sylvester's wife grabbed his arm.
"Don't fight them here."
"Then what?"
"The lake house."
He shook his head.
"That's where Victor wants us."
"Exactly."
Sylvester looked confused.
"Why would we go into his trap?"
"Because the vault is there."
She leaned closer.
"And because Victor believes the vault can only be opened by the twins."
Noah looked at Anna.
"We have to go?"
His mother nodded.
"But not the way he expects."
Evelyn suddenly spoke.
"I know a passage."
Everyone turned.
"It leads from the basement to the old tunnel network."
Sylvester stared.
"How do you know?"
Evelyn's voice shook.
"Because I used it once."
"When?"
"Eleven years ago."
She looked at Noah.
"The night your mother disappeared."
Noah stared at her.
"You were there?"
Evelyn nodded.
"I saw what they did."
"Who?"
"Victor's people."
"What did they do to Mom?"
Evelyn looked at the floor.
"They shot her."
Sylvester froze.
"You said she was kidnapped."
"She was."
"After being shot?"
"Yes."
"Why did you help them?"
Evelyn's eyes filled.
"Because they had my daughter."
Sylvester stopped.
"You have a daughter?"
"I did."
Silence.
"What happened to her?"
Evelyn swallowed.
"Victor took her too."
Noah stepped closer.
"Why?"
"Because she had seen something."
Evelyn reached into her pocket and removed an old photograph.
A teenage girl.
Dark hair.
The same silver pendant.
Anna gasped.
"That's me."
"No."
Evelyn shook her head.
"That's my daughter."
Everyone froze.
Evelyn looked at Anna.
"Her name was Clara."
Anna's hands trembled.
"You're saying I'm your daughter?"
"No."
Evelyn's voice broke.
"I am saying Victor switched identities."
Sylvester understood.
"Anna isn't your daughter."
"No."
"Then where is Clara?"
Evelyn looked at him.
"I don't know."
A gunshot exploded outside.
The lights went out.
The mansion plunged into darkness again.
Security alarms screamed.
Sylvester grabbed Noah.
His wife grabbed Anna.
Evelyn pulled open a hidden panel beneath the staircase.
A narrow tunnel appeared.
"Move!"
They entered.
Behind them, the front doors exploded inward.
Victor's men stormed the mansion.
As the group ran through the tunnel, Noah noticed something scratched into the wall.
A child's handwriting.
He touched it.
NOAH WAS HERE.
He stared.
"I've never been here."
His mother looked at the message.
Her face went white.
"That's impossible."
Anna touched another line beneath it.
ANNA TOO.
Sylvester stopped.
"Someone brought you here before."
The tunnel lights came on automatically.
At the end stood a steel door.
A camera above it turned.
A child's voice came through the speaker.
"Welcome home."
Everyone froze.
May you like
Then the voice added:
"Only one of you is actually a Stallone."
Related Stories
