Chapter 5 - The Boy’s Ace
Daniel’s mind raced at a thousand miles an hour. Every instinct screamed to pull the trigger, to end Viktor right here in the vault. But the threat hanging over Leo’s head chained his hands. If Viktor had explosives wired to the nursery, a single wrong move would mean losing his son forever.
"You're insane, Viktor," Daniel said, keeping his voice carefully modulated, buying precious seconds while his eyes scanned the vault for an angle, a reflection, a way out. "Even if you blow this house to the ground, the digital backups of the vault files are synced to three separate offshore servers. You won't get a single cent."
Viktor’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second. "You're bluffing."
"Am I?" Daniel stepped closer, his finger steady on the trigger guard. "Marcus, status on the upper east wing override."
Before Marcus could answer through the comms, a soft, electronic chime echoed from the hallway outside the vault. It wasn't the sound of an explosion. It was the cheerful, unmistakable startup jingle of a child’s handheld tablet computer.
Viktor frowned, glancing toward the heavy steel doorway. "What the hell is that?"
From the shadows of the corridor, a small figure stepped into the red emergency light.
It wasn't a guard. It was Leo.
The nine-year-old wasn't cowering in his bedroom. In his hands, he held his custom-built, high-frequency signal jammer—the same device he used to hack his school's robotic drones.
"You missed a spot, Uncle Viktor," Leo’s clear, calm voice rang through the vault.
Viktor’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "How did you—the guards were supposed to—"
"The guards are tied up in the guest house," Leo interrupted smoothly, stepping further into the room. "And your little remote control? It runs on a standard 2.4GHz Wi-Fi relay connected to a burner phone in your coat pocket. Right about... now."
Leo tapped a button on his tablet.
BZZZZZT.
Viktor’s remote detonator sparked violently in his hand, a tiny puff of grey smoke venting from the plastic casing. The blinking light turned dead. Viktor stared at the dead device in horror, pressing the button repeatedly with no response.
"You little brat!" Viktor roared, dropping the ledger and lunging forward with a concealed switchblade springing from his sleeve.
"Dad!" Leo called out.
Daniel didn't hesitate. With lightning-fast precision, he raised his pistol and fired a single shot straight into the concrete floor two inches in front of Viktor’s leading boot.
CRACK.
The deafening report echoed off the stone walls like thunder. Viktor froze instantly, the switchblade slipping from his numb fingers and clattering against the marble floor.
Marcus and the tactical team swarmed forward in a blur of motion, tackling Viktor to the ground, slamming heavy steel cuffs onto his wrists, and pinning him face-down against the cold floor.
Daniel dropped his gun, rushed past them, and dropped to his knees, scooping Leo up into his arms and holding him tight against his chest.
"Are you okay? Did he touch you?" Daniel demanded, checking the boy from head to toe.
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"I'm fine, Dad," Leo said, offering a small, confident grin. "I locked the nursery smart-locks from the inside the second you went downstairs. He didn't even get past the heavy oak door."
Daniel let out a ragged, shuddering breath, burying his face in his son's shoulder. The terror that had gripped his heart melted away, replaced by an overwhelming wave of fierce, unbreakable pride.
