William swept Lily into his arms as he bounded down the stairs to the first floor, remembering the elevator was just off the kitchen. As he looked back up the stairs to see if Steven and Quincy were close behind, the glass in the French doors leading to the porch shattered, inviting in the sound of a landing helicopter.

“Go!” Steven yelled. William headed for the kitchen, seeing the night revealed in the missing glass splintered by the firing of pistols from the two guards. Both were crouched behind pillars, firing repeatedly into the dark.

William ran, carrying Lily through the butler’s pantry and to the large, heavy doors that concealed the elevator. He set the girl down and pulled opened the doors. Steven arrived, sliding aside the small painting and punching in a code on the keypad, then setting his thumb on the tiny screen.

They heard the scream of a man from the porch and booted feet rush up the outside stairs.

Stumbling inside as the elevator doors opened, Steven repeatedly pushed the button to descend.

As the metal doors began to close, a man in black arrived outside, sticking his foot in the opening.

William felt the heat in him, the familiar panic. He saw Lily raise her arm.

“No!” he said, yanking her hand down.

The closest to the doors, Quincy used his sizeable weight to slam his foot into the agent’s shin, just as the man swiveled his weapon towards them. When he yanked his leg back in pain, the doors abruptly shut.

“Listen,” Steven said as the elevator began to lower. “Do exactly as I say and we may be able to get out of here.”

Before they could respond, the elevator doors opened, and Steven motioned them out. As their eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, Steven turned to the keypad on the side of the door. As the doors to the elevator closed again, he held down his finger on the screen for several seconds, until it began to flash red.

“It’s inactivated,” Steven said. “William, turn around.”

“What?”

Starting at William’s neck, the old man began to pat him down. When he’d reached all the way to his feet, he tore off William’s shoes. As he turned them over, something small tumbled out from inside one of them.

Lily reached down, holding up what appeared to be a microchip.

“Dammit,” Steven said.

William’s stomach sank, remembering how the agents had frisked him, even taking off his shoes.

“They must have slipped it in when they took me,” he stammered.

Quincy took the tracking device from Lily and threw it to the floor, crushing it with the heel of his shoe. From above came the sound of harsh slamming on metal.