Chapter 7 - THE BOY IN THE SHADOWS
Time stopped.
Harper didn't freeze. All those years of barely scraping by, of anticipating disaster before it hit, surged into a single moment of clarity.
She didn't run. She didn't scream.
Instead, she grabbed the heavy iron fire extinguisher bolted to the stone wall beside her. With a desperate cry, she ripped it from its bracket and hurled it straight up the narrow staircase.
The heavy red cylinder slammed into the Scarred Man’s knees. He yelled in pain, his gun discharging wildly into the stone ceiling. Dust and debris rained down.
Before he could recover, Arthur pushed past Harper. Despite his gunshot wound, the old mob boss moved with terrifying speed. He tackled the Scarred Man against the stone wall. The two men crashed down the steps, trading brutal, silent blows in the dark.
"Harper, go!" Arthur choked out as the Scarred Man’s hands found his throat. "Get the boy!"
Harper didn't hesitate. She scrambled past the fighting men, bursting through the heavy wooden door into the bell tower.
The wind howled through the open arches, rain spraying across the massive bronze bell.
"Leo!" Harper shouted over the storm. "Leo, where are you?"
Silence.
She dropped to her knees, looking under the old wooden pews stored in the corner. "Leo, I'm a friend. My name is Harper. My mom's name was Sarah."
A tiny rustle came from the darkest corner behind the bell.
A small face peeked out from the shadows. The boy was tiny for his age, with messy dark hair and terrified, bright green eyes. He was shivering violently, clutching a rosary tightly in his little hands.
"Sarah?" he whispered, his voice trembling. "Sarah said she would come back for me."
Harper’s heart shattered. She crawled forward slowly, keeping her hands visible. "Sarah sent me. I'm her daughter. I'm here to take you somewhere safe."
Leo hesitated, then launched himself into her arms. He buried his face in her wet coat, sobbing quietly. Harper held him tight, feeling the small, fragile weight of the child her mother had died to protect. In that moment, an unbreakable vow formed in her chest. She would not let anyone hurt this boy.
Suddenly, a gunshot echoed from the stairwell below.
Then, dead silence.
Harper pushed Leo behind her, picking up a heavy iron wrench left by the bell ringers. She raised it, trembling, staring at the wooden door.
The handle turned slowly.
The door pushed open.
Arthur stood there. He was covered in stone dust and blood, breathing heavily, his suit ruined. The Scarred Man was nowhere to be seen.
"He's dealt with," Arthur rasped. He looked at Leo, his hard eyes softening instantly. "Hello, Leo. You're safe now."
Before anyone could exhale, Arthur's cell phone buzzed. The harsh vibration cut through the sound of the rain.
Arthur looked at the caller ID. His jaw tightened. He answered, putting it on speaker.
"Arthur," a smooth, cultured, and utterly venomous voice poured from the speaker. It was Moretti. "I hear you've been visiting my orphanage."
"You lost, Moretti. I have the boy. And I have the evidence David sent me. It's over."
"Is it?" Moretti chuckled softly. "Tell me, Arthur... does Harper know you left a very dear friend of hers alone at the diner tonight?"
A muffled, terrified voice came through the phone. It was Greg, the diner manager.
"Harper!" Greg screamed. "They have guns! Please—"
A dull thud cut him off.
Cliffhanger.
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"Bring me the boy and the birth certificate," Moretti said coldly. "At the shipping yards. In one hour. Or I burn the diner down with your little friend inside."
TITLE: The Price Of A Soul
