He was terrified. His mother held him tightly in her arms as she withdrew to a hidden room accessed through the back of her bedroom closet. She told him not to cry and that he had to be absolutely silent. The poor five-year-old had no idea why, but he could tell his mother was very afraid. He did as he was told, tears falling silently down his face.
There was someone moving around in the bedroom outside. Their voices were muffled, but he could tell they were men and he could still hear what they were saying. "Just like my sources said, he keeps the disk in a safe behind a picture of his family in his bedroom," one of the men said. "Could he be any more cliché?"
The other man chuckled. "I know, right? But as long as we get paid . . . wait. You hear that, Boss?"
"Shit! Sounds like someone else wants that disk! Quick! Close the safe! He's got a safe room behind the closet we can use to hide until these bozos leave," the first man cursed.
"Sounds like they're after the people, not the disk."
"Pfft! Dipshits! They got bad sources. Even I knew the family wasn't gonna be home tonight."
The boy started shaking in his mother's arms as the two men entered the hidden room. In the dim light, they looked at the mother and child in shock. "Looks like my sources are bad too," the first man chuckled. He was tall, lanky with dark hair and eyes. "I was told no one would be home. No need to be afraid, ma'am. We ain't here to hurt anyone. Can't say the same for the people downstairs, though. Your husband ain't here?"
"No," the boy's mother whispered. "Those people are after my son and me. I cannot let them have Levi. Please, Kenny. I need you to take my son and get as far away from here as you can. I will stay here and keep them distracted until you are gone. I need you to promise me you will care for and protect him."
"Wait. How'd you know my name?" the thief asked.
"That's not important. Please, I'm begging you. Climb up the ladder at the back of this room to the attic. Use the attic vent to get outside. Please," she begged. "Promise me."
Kenny looked at her kind of funny, but as he could hear the other intruders stomping up the stairs, he knew had no time to think about it. "Alright, ma'am. I promise I'll take care of and protect Levi. I'll treat him as my own flesh and blood."
The mother sighed with relief and hugged her son tightly. "Listen to me, Levi. This man is Kenny. He's going to take care of you from now on. Promise me you'll be good for him."
Lower lip trembling and tears spilling down his face he mumbled, "I promise."
"That's my good boy. I love you so much! Always remember that." With those words and tears running unchecked down her lovely face, she handed her son over to the thief. "Thank you, Kenny."
"He'll be well cared for, ma'am. I promise," Kenny told her as he took the boy in his arms and hurried up the indicated ladder after his subordinate.
Kenny was just climbing out the attic vent to the roof when he heard a crash as several people broke into the hidden room. An enraged scream followed. "YOU WILL NEVER HAVE ME OR MY SON! TONIGHT, YOU WILL ALL DIE!"
Kenny and his man fled the area as fast as they could. The following morning, he saw on the news that the home had burned to the ground, burning 10 people beyond recognition in its intensity. Witnesses claimed to have heard screams and a fight before the house burst into a flaming inferno.