Chapter 12
Before the intruder could tighten his grip or pull the trigger, a sudden, heavy crash echoed from the hallway ceiling directly above them.
The attic access hatch, which Julian and Leo had just pulled shut, violently gave way as a second intruder tried to force entry from the roof overhang outside. But they hadn't counted on Leo’s resourcefulness. Up in the cramped, dusty rafters, Leo had wedged an old iron radiator pipe against the hatch frame, creating a makeshift barricade that jammed the mechanism instantly.
“Boss! We got a complication up top!” a muffled voice shouted from the hallway below, followed by the sound of someone kicking furiously against the drywall.
The man holding Eleanor hesitated for a fraction of a second, his attention diverted upward by the sudden commotion. In that microscopic window of opportunity, Eleanor didn't scream or panic; she dropped her weight entirely, driving her heel down onto the intruder’s polished combat boot with crushing force.
The man let out a sharp gasp of pain, his grip loosening just enough for Eleanor to wrench her arm free. She didn't hesitate; she threw herself forward, slamming her shoulder into his chest and sending him stumbling backward against the heavy oak dresser.
“Run!” Eleanor screamed at the top of her lungs, sprinting out of the master bedroom and toward the attic pull-down stairs.
She didn't look back. She grabbed the hanging rope, yanking the hatch down. Julian’s face appeared in the opening, pale and dirt-streaked, with Leo peering anxiously over his shoulder.
“Mom! Grab my hand!” Julian yelled, extending his arm down as far as he could reach.
From down the hallway, the recovering intruder let out a curse and raised his weapon. The silenced pistol gave a dull, muffled thip, and a bullet tore through the wood paneling inches from Eleanor’s head, showering her in splinters.
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Adrenaline surged through Eleanor’s veins with blinding intensity. She leaped upward, catching the wooden frame of the attic access with her fingertips, and hoisted herself entirely off the floor. Leo grabbed her right wrist while Julian pulled her left, their combined strength hauling her up into the dark, dusty confines of the crawlspace just as a second bullet embedded itself in the flooring directly beneath where she had been standing.
With a frantic kick, Julian shoved the wooden hatch back into place, sliding the heavy metal bolt home just as heavy footsteps pounded up the stairs toward the master bedroom.
