Chapter 10 - The Reckoning in the Hall
The heavy iron crowbar was not just a tool for dampers; in Bennett’s hands, driven by adrenaline and fury, it became a terrifying instrument of destruction.
Wielding the heavy bar like a sledgehammer, Bennett drove the flat end directly into the wood around the brass lock mechanism of the study door.
THUD! CRACK! THUD!
On the fourth strike, the ancient oak surrounding the latch splintered and exploded inward. Bennett kicked the door open, stepping out into the dimly lit stone corridor of the west wing, the crowbar held ready at his side.
Josephine followed closely behind, carrying the twins wrapped securely in her wool blanket.
The hallway was quiet, save for the distant, low thrumming of the generator in the basement.
Bennett marched down the corridor toward the grand gallery, his heavy footsteps echoing off the stone walls. As he turned the corner overlooking the main foyer, he saw Julian.
Julian was standing near the grand marble fireplace below, frantically stuffing thick leather-bound ledgers and velvet jewelry boxes into a heavy leather carpetbag. His iron cane was leaning against a sofa; he was moving on his own two feet with surprising agility, fueled by the desperate panic of a man who believed his victims were already dead.
"Looking for something, Julian?" Bennett’s voice boomed down from the upper gallery like the judgment of an angry god.
Julian froze, his hands hovering over a velvet box of Sterling diamonds. He slowly turned his head upward, his pale face instantly draining of what little color it possessed.
His eyes darted from Bennett, standing tall on the balcony holding the blood-stained crowbar, to Josephine, standing beside him with the two infants in her arms.
"How..." Julian stammered, his jaw working uselessly. "How are you alive?!"
Bennett didn't answer. He descended the grand staircase slowly, deliberately, every step a promise of retribution.
Julian panicked. He grabbed his heavy iron cane from the sofa, holding it out with both hands like a defensive staff, backing away toward the heavy oak front doors.
"Stay back, Bennett!" Julian shrieked, his voice cracking into a pathetic, high-pitched scream. "I'm your brother! You can't touch me! Mother gave this estate to ME!"
"Mother gave you nothing," Bennett said, his voice dropping into a deadly, quiet register as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "You are a coward, Julian. A parasite who hid in the dark and fed on a helpless woman."
Julian swung the iron cane wildy at Bennett’s head.
Bennett didn't even flinch. He raised the crowbar, blocking the strike with a harsh metallic CLANG that sent violent vibrations running up Julian’s arms.
Before Julian could recover his balance, Bennett stepped inside his guard, grabbed his brother by the lapels of his tailored jacket, and slammed him backward onto the cold marble floor of the foyer.
Julian hit the stone with a sickening thud, his iron cane clattering away across the floor. He lay there, gasping for air, staring up at Bennett with wide, terrified eyes.
May you like
Bennett raised the iron crowbar high above his head, his muscles taut, his face contorted in a mask of primal, lethal fury.
"Bennett, stop!" Josephine’s voice rang out through the foyer.
