Chapter 8 - Night of the Storm
"Run, Leo!" Eleanor pushed him toward the internal connecting door that led to the servant stairs behind the master bedroom.
"I'm not leaving you!" Leo yelled, gripping her arm tightly.
"You have to save yourself!" Eleanor insisted, pulling the keycard from her pocket and shoving it into his hand. "This unlocks the garage basement! Take the drive from my purse—the real backup drive Richard gave me—and run to the main gate! The police are on their way!"
Before Leo could move, the bedroom door was kicked violently off its hinges. Victor stepped into the room, soaked from the rain outside, his face twisted in a desperate, maniacal rage.
"Nobody is running anywhere," Victor growled, raising the iron bar. "Richard called the authorities from his car. He thinks he’s ruined me. But if the proprietary data vanishes along with the heirs to the Sterling estate, I still control the liquidation assets."
"You're insane, Victor!" Eleanor screamed, stepping in front of Leo, her arms spread wide. "You framed an innocent woman years ago, and now you're willing to commit murder?"
"Innocent?" Victor laughed bitterly, taking a slow step forward. "Sarah Lin found out I was siphoning funds from the restoration project! She was going to go to Richard! I did what I had to do to survive. Just like I'm doing tonight."
Victor lunged forward, swinging the iron bar toward Eleanor.
Leo didn't think. He didn't hesitate. The same raw, unyielding instinct that had sent him flying under the wheels of the delivery truck took control of his tiny frame. He threw himself straight into Victor’s knees, tackling him with all the weight his malnourished body could gather.
Victor stumbled backward, losing his balance on the wet hardwood floor. The iron bar clattered harmlessly against the wall.
"You little rat!" Victor snarled, reaching down and grabbing Leo by his collar, lifting him off his feet.
"Leave him alone!" Eleanor grabbed a heavy brass lamp from the nightstand and brought it down hard across Victor’s shoulder.
Victor screamed in pain, dropping Leo onto the floor. He turned violently toward Eleanor, shoving her hard. She hit her head against the corner of the bed frame and collapsed onto the carpet, unconscious.
"Mrs. Sterling!" Leo gasped, crawling toward her.
Victor wiped blood from his mouth, his eyes fixing on the small boy. He reached down and scooped up the heavy brass lamp. "It ends here, kid."
Leo looked at Eleanor’s motionless body, then at the open door leading to the terrace outside. Rain swept into the room through the broken balcony doors. He didn't run away. He grabbed the velvet pouch containing his small collection of coins from his pocket—the quarters and nickels he had bled for on the street.
As Victor raised the weapon, Leo flung the handful of hard copper and zinc coins straight into Victor’s eyes with all the force in his lungs.
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"Argh!" Victor blinded instantly by the sharp metallic spray, stumbled backward onto the slick, wet balcony tiles.
The rain made the stone surface like glass. Victor lost his footing completely, his arms flailing as he tipped over the low marble balustrade, crashing down into the courtyard rose bushes fifteen feet below with a sickening crunch.
