Chapter 14 - The Furnace
Leo did not go alone.
He told Grandpa immediately.
Henry read the message twice, then handed the phone to Sheriff Cross.
“Martin wants the boy frightened enough to make a mistake.”
Leo shook his head. “He wants you to follow me.”
Henry looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because he knows you won’t let me go by myself.”
Cross traced the image metadata to an old Mercer Industries glass plant that had closed ten years earlier.
The main furnace had been cold for years, but a smaller testing furnace still worked.
Cross assembled a team.
Henry refused to stay behind.
Claire argued for three straight minutes.
Henry finally said, “Martin has been my lawyer for thirty-four years. If he wants to talk, I need to hear why.”
Leo said, “Then I’m coming too.”
“No.”
“The message was sent to me.”
“No.”
“Grandpa—”
Henry crouched so they were eye to eye.
“You have already done more than any eleven-year-old should have to do.”
Leo’s voice dropped. “And every time the adults told me to stay out of it, Martin got closer to winning.”
Henry stared at him for a moment.
Then he exhaled.
“You stay behind the sheriff. You do exactly what he says.”
The abandoned plant smelled like dust, oil, and old metal.
Cross’s deputies entered from two sides.
Henry, Claire, and Leo waited behind a concrete barrier near the loading floor.
A light turned on above the testing furnace.
Martin Pike stepped into view.
He held no gun.
Only the will.
“You brought the whole family,” he called out. “How touching.”
Henry stepped forward.
“Why, Martin?”
Martin laughed quietly.
“You still think this is about Richard’s stolen money.”
“What else would it be about?”
“Thirty-four years, Henry. I cleaned your messes. I protected your company. I watched you make billions while I billed hours.”
“You were paid millions.”
“I was paid to stand beside the throne.”
Martin held up the will.
“I decided I wanted the kingdom.”
Cross shouted, “Drop the document and put your hands up!”
Martin smiled.
Then a red laser dot appeared on Sheriff Cross’s chest.
Leo saw it first.
May you like
“Down!” he screamed.
Gunfire exploded from the catwalk above.
