Chapter 10 - The Standoff in the Hallway
Mark froze halfway across the threshold, his eyes darting wildly between the older woman holding the newborn baby and the crumpled, sweating form of Sarah lying against the floral sofa. The two hulking men standing behind him in the doorway stepped forward, their massive shoulders blocking out the remaining daylight and plunging the entryway into deep, suffocating shadow.
"Don't be a fool, Martha," Mark sneered, his hands twitching nervously at his sides as he calculated the distance to the sofa. "You know how this ends. You survived twelve years down in that basement just to die on these floorboards over someone else's brood?"
"I died the day you locked me in this house, Mark," Martha replied, her grip on the brass poker tightening until her knuckles turned chalk white. "And every day since, I've lived for the moment I could smash your skull across this very wood. Come another step closer and see what happens."
Sarah clutched her swollen abdomen, feeling the second twin pressing downward with an unstoppable, crushing urgency. Her vision blurred at the edges, dark spots dancing across her field of vision as another wave of blinding pain tore through her lower back.
"I can't... she's coming," Sarah choked out, her fingers digging desperately into the fabric of the sofa cushion as her body began to push instinctively against her will.
"Push her out, Sarah! Right now!" Martha yelled without breaking eye contact with the men blocking the front door. "We don't have a choice anymore!"
One of the hulking guards behind Mark reached inside his gray long-sleeve shirt, his hand wrapping around the black grip of a concealed pistol. "Boss, we don't have time for this theatrical nonsense. The transport van is turning onto the cul-de-sac right now."
The distant rumble of a heavy diesel engine idling outside confirmed his words, vibrating through the asphalt of the driveway and rattling the glass panes of the front windows. Mark’s expression hardened into ruthless determination.
"Take them both," Mark commanded, stepping over the threshold with a cold, predatory smile. "Leave the old woman, but secure the babies before the buyers arrive."
May you like
As the two massive guards surged forward into the hallway, Martha swung the heavy brass poker with all her remaining strength, aiming directly for Mark's chest.
---
