The wind tonight carried an ominous rythym. Branches shook and leaves rustled. The night was eerily quiet despite the wind and in this quietness, Adam Hart and his family slept calmly after the festivities of last night to celebrate his new ministerial appointment. The entire servants had retired to their quarters after ensuring the house was restored to it's usual order.
The Hart estate was as quiet as it could ever be.
The sound of gunshots instantly roused Adam Hart and his wife Elizabeth from their slumber.
" what's that sound"
Elizabeth asked, sleep instantly vanishing from her eyes, being replaced with fear and curiosity.
In her mid thirties, about five - five and slender, her body possessed subtle curves she had managed to retain even after birthing three children. Her face was nicely shaped, her eyes wide and blue. Her hair was thick and light brown which turned blondish in the summer and always carried a fresh pleasing scent. She quietly got out of bed bed and went to her husband's side where he stood peering out the window, standing sideways.
As she approached, he instantly put his index finger to his lips and motioned her to the other side of the window.
She took the spot and lifted the curtain to peer outside. She found men spread around the estate, making their way to the main building. She turned to her husband, using her eyes to communicate her unease.
Adam gestured to the children's room first, then pointed to her then pointed at himself and pointed his index finger to the floor afterwards.
Elizabeth understood instantly and they both tiptoed towards the door of their bedroom and parted ways in the hallway, both going in opposite directions.
Elizabeth silently found her way through the dark hallway to her children's room at the other end of the hallway, staying close to the wall and groping her way through.
She opened the door and went in only to be met with three curious staring faces.
" what's happening mum " Annie asked.
" it's nothing baby, just a little noise. Daddy has gone to check it out" she replied smiling sweetly, betraying nothing. She walked to the children's wardrobe and began stuffing some of the items she felt they would need into their bag packs.
"mom what's really going on" Annie queried again, understanding dawning in her eyes. She knew something was off, afterall, no one gets up at 2am and just begin to stuff items into bags, albeit hurriedly.
At 15, with her face the same shape as her mother's, she possessed the same auburn coloured hair that ran in her father's family and his ecru coloured eyes.
She was slender like her mother and she was able to move quietly when ever she wished, walking as though her feet never touched the ground. She watched her mother worriedly as her mother packed, and knew that despite how calm she seemed on the outside,it was not the same on the inside. She was only putting on a facade in order not to alarm Jonathan and Bertha.
She was the first to wake up among her siblings and had also seen the men in the yard making their way towards the house, after the sound of the gunshot. She was a damn light sleeper.
"come on guys she said to her siblings as she grabbed their boots and clothes to help them get dressed after she tied her hair in a loose ponytail above her head.
Elizabeth was barely done stuffing the last item into a bag when she heard the sound of crashing furniture downstairs.
She looked at Annie and motioned her closer.
"Baby remember that little door you asked me about when you were a kid and I asked you not to bother me"
"of course I do mum.... it's right next door...in you and dad's room"
"ohkay... good....I want you, to go there and get in it. You and your brother and sister alright?"
"here" she said, handing her a bunch of keys.
" one opens the door... you'll know what to do with the others when the time comes " she explained, locking the bags with their respective zippers.
"I'll go downstairs now and check on your father.... do everything exactly how I told you" she said and turned to go downstairs.
Adam felt his way around the living room until he found a lantern which he lit with the lighter he always carried around for his pack of cigarettes.
The light from the lantern basked the room in a soft glow, which exposed the shadows of the 5 men sitting in the dark.
The moment Adam set down the lantern turned to go towards the door, he felt a presence and colour drained from his face when he looked and realized who they were.
With shaking fingers, he sat down quietly and faced each.
" we have come for it" one of the men spoke in a gruff voice.
"you know it is my right. It was handed down directly to me ..... Griffith I have nothing to give.....it isn't here."
"Where is it then" asked another man who had a mole on his left cheek.
"it is none of your concern Bart ..... and none of yours either....the whole lot of you" Adam gestured at them agitatedly.
"Just tell us where it is and no one has to get hurt" William said calmly, pulling out his 45mm pistol and settling it comfortably against the armrest of the chair he was sitting on.
At the sight of the weapon, Adam's mouth went dry and he swallowed hard.
"I swear it is not here" he repeated.
"I see we are going to do it the hard way then" William muttered under his breath. He snapped his fingers and men Adam had not noticed before came into view and walked towards him.
They produced batons within a flash and began to plummel him with it.
In few minutes, his face was swollen and he began spitting out blood.
"Where is it Adam" Griffith queried again.
"I don't know" came Adams reply.
"Adam stop and for a moment think of Elizabeth and the children .... I know they're somewhere in this house" William said with a devilish smirk.
"You bastard don't even think about it. Stay the fuck away from my family. They are not involved. They have nothing to do with this"
"Oh they have everything to do with it.... like they say, the ends justifies the means"
"how much did they pay you to do this.... how could you.. the children adore and love you... come on.... stop this madness"
"madness? you call this madness? Adam I will not call it that.... you see, all this time I have always been under your shadow.... even when
Marauder was still alive. In everything you have always outshone me now it's my turn"
"now I get it.....it's just petty jealousy and envy" Adam said, shaking his head.
"I wonder why I never noticed it before" he said regretfully.
Elizabeth walked into the living room and was stunned at the sight she met. Her husband surrounded by his own pool of blood with William and his friends sitting comfortably and watching the show.
"Elizabeth so nice of you to join us" William said, the moment he set his eyes on her then he began to head towards her direction.
"Don't ...stop ... let her go... she doesn't know anyth..... " he started but was silenced by a punch to his abdomen.
He bent over and coughed out more blood.
Elizabeth felt her cheeks moisten and her lips begin to taste salty as she watched the pain her husband was in.
William dragged her by her hair and made her kneel beside her husband
"where is it?"
"where is what?"
"don't play games with me woman..... you know what I am talking about" William smirked.
"I don't know what you are talking about" Elizabeth repeated, earning herself a dirty hot slap from William.
She felt her cheeks sting and grow hot but she still displayed her stubborn resolve.
"alright, since you two do not want to make my job easier, we have to try another approach"
William cocked his gun and aimed it at Adam.
"I'm counting to three and you are going to start yapping else I load his head up" he said, directing his words to Elizabeth.
"I....I swear I d..d..d..d..on't know she said shivering"
"that's not my problem"
"please Will don't.... you two are friends like brothers how can you...." she started, her voice dropping pitch towards the last word.
"sorry love.... I'm just looking out for myself.... yeah and ah...time's up" he smirked and pulled the trigger.
Elizabeth screamed and cried as she watched Adam fall, a little opening, in the middle of his forehead, his eyes wide open from the shock.
Blood spurted from the opening and began to pool around his head on the dark tiles.
"Last chance.... where is it"
"I don't know what you are talking about ...." Elizabeth sobbed, her grief quaking her entire body.
"here's what's going to happen love ... I'm going to kill you first, then I'm going to have your girls raped by those horny fucks over there..." he said pointing to his men, then he continued.
"after which they're going to be strangled by me, one after the other. All your children. Either that, or you start talking"
Elizabeth trembled in fright.
Hot tears fell from her delicate face.
"you are wasting my time" William said and cocked his gun.
Just then, Bertha walked into the living room in her riding clothes.
"momma .... my button won't fit." she said struggling with a button close to her shirt pocket.
"hello uncle William"
she greeted, oblivious to the load of trouble she just got herself into.
Elizabeth looked from Bertha to William and shook frightfully.
She began to plead hysterically.
"please let her go... she's innocent ..shhhh .. she's jjj...ust a chuii..ild" she stammered"
"Come to uncle darling" William beckoned with a glint in his eye.
Bertha looked from her mother to William and began to cry.
"shhhh... uncle is not going to hurt you if mummy does what uncle wants" he said to her, gesturing towards her, attempting to take her in his arms.
"Enough Will....we are not child killers and rapists. Heaven knows we didn't come for the children. Let the girl go" Glint, one of the men on the chairs eyed him saying, earning nods of agreement from the other four men in attendance.
"shut the fuck up. Why bring me into it if you know you're not going to let me handle the business my way" William fired.
"come here girl...." he said to a crying Bertha
Seeing that she didn't budge, he walked towards her and carried her in his arms.
Then with a smirk plastered on his face, he lifted his gun and pointed it to her head.
Bertha's cries grew louder.
"Let her go... then I'll go get it in the study" Elizabeth said.
"Not a chance. Let me get my hands on it, then I let her go"
Elizabeth averted her eyes from him and got up.
"Where do you think you are going?"
"To get what you want"
"Like hell you're going anywhere alone" he smirked.
He gestured to one of his men who fell in step behind her.
"You best not try any funny business and don't even think about trying to be smart" William called after her as she left the study. A statement to which she gave no reply.
She led the man who followed her down the hall to the study.
On her way, she caught a movement from the corner of her eye, and prayed the man following her did not.
Inwardly, she wondered why Bertha came to the living room, instead of being through the trap door and half way through the estate by now.
She held her crying chin up, mourning the death of the man she had devoted her life to.
The man who was a perfect father in every sense of the word, and who adored her and her children unlike any man she had ever seen. She prayed for his soul.
She got to the study and opened the door, not without some difficulty in opening the door as she could not quiet her trembling hands.
She made a show of checking around the study, shaking tables and turning properties upside down in search of something.
The man assigned to escort her just stood aside and stared at her.
Suddenly she reached behind a shelf of books and brought out a box.
"Found it. Let's go" she said as she took it with hands still trembling and led the way out.
She did not bother with locking the door as she knew William and the other men would turn the house upside down afterall.