Tony made his way back to the house, creeping carefully through the brush. There was still no sign of pursuit, but he took no chances. He remained as hidden as he could, moving through the brush as quietly as he could, setting his feet carefully, trying to leave no signs of his progress back to the house. Even though, so far, there was sign that anyone was actually looking for him, he didn't want to give anyone any clues as to where he was.
It wasn't until he was in sight of the house itself that he saw men leave the house – a half dozen big burly men. They scattered into the growth around the house. Six men to find a little boy, it made him grin.
Once the men disappeared from his sight, he scrambled across the drive using the car to remain hidden from anyone watching from the house. He paused a second to see if anyone else was going to come out of the house. While everything remained quiet from the house, behind him he could hear the men shouting at one another as they looked for him. He knew that any minute one of them could emerge from the trees and they would see him where he was crouched down by the car.
Taking a deep breath, he made a break for the front door. The rocks rattled under his feet, but it wasn't enough noise to alert the men searching for him. They were making enough racket of their own, it would be sure to drown out any small noises he might make. It wasn't until his hand was on the knob of the front door that it occurred to him that it might be locked. Before he even had time to worry about it, the door opened and he slid inside.
His luck was holding as there was no one inside to greet him. He shut the door and pressed himself against the wall, trying to decide what to do next. The hall was cool and dark after the bright sunshine outside. He blinked as he scoped out the place, listening for clues, hoping he might hear something to help him know what to do next.
The foyer of the house was two stories with a polished wooden staircase that swept gracefully up to the second floor. As he stood there in the dim interior of the foyer he could hear shouts from the second floor and the sound of flesh hitting flesh.
Tony was halfway up the stairs before he even thought about it. If anyone came through the front door or onto the landing they would see him on the stairs, but it was too late to do anything about it now. He continued cautiously up the stairs, testing each one before he put his weight on it. They had a similar staircase at home and he knew all of its creaks in order to sneak down it and escape the house. This one was no different.
Soon enough he was at the top of the staircase without alerting anyone else in the house to his presence. He listened again, seeking the source of the noise he heard. He was certain that it was where he would find Magnum.
It didn't take him long to locate the room where Magnum was being held. Tony stood outside the closed doors and clenched his fists in anger as he listened to the men in the room as they hit Magnum again and again. He was so intent that he almost didn't hear the step on the stairs. A particularly loud creak altered him to the danger. Desperately he cast around for a place where he could hide.
His gaze fell on a chair sitting a few steps away. It was an ornate chair of the type that his mother would love and would never allow him to actually sit on. Underneath it was a space just big enough for a small boy to wriggle into.
He barely made it before a tall imposing figure appeared at the top of the staircase. The man had an air of authority about him that reminded Tony of his father. The man was used to being instantly obeyed, he would brook no disrespect. The gray at his temples was the only sign of age about the man, he stood tall and straight with no hint of a stoop in his shoulders.
The man's steely gaze swept the hallway as if he sensed Tony's presence there. Tony pressed himself into his hiding place, barely daring to breath afraid that the man might be able to hear him. The whole house was quiet, even the shouting had stopped, while the man searched the hallway with his gaze.
At last he must have been satisfied with what he saw as he moved down the hall. Tony felt the air move as he moved past his hiding space and into the room where Magnum was being held. Tony couldn't believe his luck when the man left the door open behind him.
The men in the room were intent on Magnum's bruised and bloody form. No one noticed when Tony slid into the room and found a hiding place where he could still see and hear everything that happened to Magnum. His friend was tied to a chair in the center of the room. It looked like the ropes around his body tying him to the chair were the only thing holding him upright.
Magnum was a mess with cuts on his face that dripped blood. One eye was swollen shut and the other was bloodshot and drooping. It was hard for him to hold up his head, it kept dropping forward onto to his chest. But he raised it defiantly looking the newcomer in the eye.
"So many things are coming clearer now, Mr. Pearson," Magnum said. It must have been difficult for him to talk as swollen as his mouth was, but he spoke slowly and clearly so they understood every word.
The man pulled up a chair and sat down opposite his captive. He stayed a few feet from Magnum, perhaps he was afraid that Magnum would try to attack him even though he was tied down. Or maybe he just didn't want to get blood on his suit. Tony couldn't tell.
In any case, he surveyed Magnum coolly, taking his time to answer, "I'm glad you know who I am, it will make things simpler. Where is the boy?"
Magnum laughed weakly, licking his cracked and bleeding lips before answering, "Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you."
Both of the men from the car were in the room. One of them hit him hard with his fist, the sound made Tony wince. He wanted to fly out of his hiding place and hit the man who was hurting Magnum, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. The best thing he could do for Magnum now was to stay hidden until the men left and then figure out a way to free him from his bonds.
It didn't mean that it wasn't the hardest thing he'd ever had to do.
He gritted his teeth as he continued watching.
"Stop that," the man in charge said sharply. "Let us be reasonable, Mr. Magnum, you can help me and I can help you."
Magnum shook his head, "Sorry, no can do. I have a feeling I know what you want, and I can't do it. You know what your son did."
"Now, Mr. Magnum, don't be so hasty, just listen to what I have to say. It could be in your best interest..." he paused making sure he had Magnum's attention, "and the boy's. You wouldn't want the death of the boy on your head, now would you?"
Tony shivered a little when he realized the man was talking about him. He knew that they were going to use him to get Magnum to do what they wanted, but having his suspicion confirmed threw him. He pressed himself deeper into his hiding place.
"You aren't going to hurt the kid because you know you'd never get any cooperation out of me," Magnum said. His eyes flashed fire even now as beaten as he was. It gave Tony a little courage back. Magnum would take care of him.
"Besides you haven't been able to find the kid, have you?" Satisfaction tinged Magnum's voice.
"We'll find him," the man said. Assurance was in his tone. "This estate is surrounded by a state-of-the-art security system. I assure you that a child is not going to be able to escape from me. And I would hate to see anything happen to him. Why don't you just agree to what I want, then you can be sure of his safety once he's caught. My men are so... eager to please."
Magnum took a breath and shifted in the chair, "Just for clarity's sake, why don't you tell me just exactly what it is you want?"
"You are the key witness in this... matter that my son is mixed up in. If you were to change your testimony, the prosecution's case would just vanish."
Tony thought Magnum was going to explode he was so angry. It took him a minute of breathing before he could even answer.
"This 'matter' was treason, Mr. Pearson. Your son sold secrets to the other side. Secrets that cost the lives of soldiers and innocent civilians..."
Mr. Pearson waved a dismissive hand, "Oh, come now, was anyone over there innocent, Mr. Magnum? Surely you would know better than anyone."
"I'm not going to argue politics with you, Mr. Pearson. But surely you've got to know that the Navy is never going to buy that I've changed my story."
"You're a smart man, Mr. Magnum, you'll get them to believe you."
"Even if I could, I wouldn't do that. Your son is a traitor."
Tony saw the man, Mr. Pearson, draw back his hand and hit Magnum himself this time, full on. Magnum's head snapped to the side and Tony heard the snap of his teeth. Tony swallowed and tried to keep from throwing himself on the man.
"A traitor? In a war we shouldn't be fighting? You will not speak of my son like that. And I won't see him go to jail for this."
"Whatever." Magnum licked the blood out of the corner of his mouth. Tony didn't think he could really see anymore, both eyes were now swollen nearly shut, but he kept his head turned in the direction that Mr. Pearson's voice came from, giving the illusion that he could see the man. "I won't be changing my testimony."
"You'll be the one who has to tell another father that you've killed his son then, Mr. Magnum. You think about it. And think about this..."
One of the men from the car drew out a case which he opened. Knives lay inside. Nestled into black velvet, they caught the light and glimmered.
"When I come back, I'm going to have the boy with me. And he'll be the one to pay for your unwillingness to cooperate." With that Mr. Pearson stood. He motioned for the other two men to leave. He followed them from the room.
Tony was alone with Magnum.
He waited just a moment to make sure that no one was going to come back in. When he heard their footsteps disappear down the hall, he slid out of his hiding place and approached Magnum.
He didn't look good. His eyes were shut and his chin rested on his chest. Tony knew they had to work fast, they didn't have much time before the men were going to be back.
To be continued...