7.
~ Daniel felt his world slip away, his breath leave his body, as he fell. He knew he would hit something. Knew it would hurt and that it would be a bad thing.
He instinctively shut his eyes as his hands tried to wildly feel for something to grab a hold of.
When he landed, the air was knocked out of his lungs and he started to cry. He couldn't help the tears that came to his eyes at the shock of the fall and hitting the metal faire escape six feet below the window.
He had been so sure he was going to die at that moment. So sure it would be a fall that would kill him. He was still young enough to think he was invincible, but the past few hours had proven all that thinking wrong.
He had to act fast. Find a way off the fire escape. The school had taken the children on many fire drills in many buildings. He had gone down fire chutes, escape ladders and other means of emergency evacuation for the blind.
It had all been fun for him at the time because there was no danger, but now the danger was very real and close. Close enough to have heard him and might be coming after him.
He felt for the railing and bumped his head hard on something when he stood.
"Ouch!" he said out loud as he could feel a hot, stinging cut tear open on his head.
'I'm bleeding.' he thought as his hands finally found the stairs and he tried to focus on the noise of the traffic, the sounds of dogs barking and the smell of cooking.
'Down.' he thought calmly. 'I have to get down. Do it slowly, and quietly.'
He tried to remember all his training in fire drills. How they had to remember their counts to the door. How they were not allowed to run at all. How they had to hug the walls, test the door knobs and most important call out for help.
He couldn't call out now. Those people might come for him. With any luck at all, they might not know he was escaping. They might be too busy watching some stupid reality show mommy was always complaining about.
He held fast to the railing and slowly marched down the stairs, when he reached the lower level, there was another flight. He took three flights slowly and finally, there were no more steps.
'What do I do?' he wondered hopelessly as he was forced to crawl on his hands and knees to feel for more steps down.
He could hear cars better now. They were moving left to right. The fire escape was close to the street with the cars, but still a ways away.
If he called out for help, the people who took him might hear. If he jumped, he might get hurt.
He was stuck here. Trapped in a metal cage with no way out.
He sat huddled in a corner for what felt like a long time trying to think of a way out.
'I can't stay here.' he thought at last. 'If they find me, they might hurt me.'
He reached out to the railing that was close to the brick wall of the building. Maybe if he climbed down, there might be something he could grab hold of and reach the street that way. He carefully swung his legs over and eased himself down. His arms holding to the railing as his feet dangled over thin air, hoping to catch ground.
He tried to lower himself farther, his bare toes searching for something to land on. The traffic was so close, so obviously close.
He had to do it, he couldn't just hang here forever like a monkey up a tree. He had to take a leap of faith.
He took a deep breath, his young mind trusting he wouldn't die, a let go.
~ Arthur opened the envelope that was sent by a standard carrier in front of Cobb and Eames. He hadn't bothered to call the investigating detectives again. They would only make things more complicated.
Arthur stood and paced the room as he read, his anger at the kidnappers swelling inside him; fit to burst.
Ariadne didn't know about the letter yet. She had taken more medication to keep her calm and had gone to sleep. Albert had cancelled the rest of his tour with Daniel missing. Cobb and Sarah were taking care of the kids. Sadie, sensing she had hurt her friend by letting Daniel leave the balcony, was staying away.
"They want five million in cash." Arthur said at last.
"Five million?" Eames laughed. "Is that all?"
Arthur rolled his eyes and read the note out loud.
"Bring five million in cash to this address and come alone. The boy dies if you don't come alone. Leave bag in dumpster and then go home. Your son will be returned after midnight if we get our money." he read aloud. "There' no picture, no evidence these people even has my son.
"Are you going to pay?" Cobb asked practically.
"We were given no proof of life. How do I even know this is the person who took him? How do I know he's even still alive?" Arthur asked.
"So, what are you going to do?" Eames asked.
"What about Genesis?" The Point Man asked instead.
"Well, Edwina had her boyfriend Specks make the call, but the old lady is the sort who won't be reached until she wants to be." Eames explained. "My guess is she doesn't want to be right now."
"Did you tell her a child is missing?" Cobb said bitterly.
"Course I did." Eames said.
"Arthur, this is the only ransom demand for Daniel's return. I suggest you pay the money and get him back." Cobb said.
"I don't exactly keep five million in cash laying around, Cobb." Arthur told him bitterly.
"I thought you were the only heir to your father's company." Eames said. His expression confused.
"I was." Arthur sighed. "I just manage it now."
When Eames acted like he didn't understand, Arthur had to explain.
"After what happened with Corrine, all that money caused more problems than we could handle. It wasn't worth it. So now, I pay myself a salary just to manage it."
"Now that you can't do extractions..." Cobb added.
"I'm not poor, but I can't just go to the bank and get my hands on that kind of cash." Arthur finished. "At one time, it wouldn't have been a problem."
"There has to be a way." Eames said. "We can come up with five million together."
"No, we don't know if this is a trick." Arthur fumed and stood up. "Daniel may already be dead."
"Arthur?" Cobb said worriedly.
"My son my have been taken by people who want to hurt me for other reasons." the Point Man went on.
"Arthur."
"We have to keep trying Genesis. The police won't be able to help us and I'm not going to play games with these amateurs who are only after a payday." Arthur went on.
He finally noticed Cobb's eyes were wide and frightened.
The Point Man turned around and saw his wife, standing in the door of his office.
"You're not going to pay?" she hissed in a dangerous whisper.
Her eyes became slightly slanted and she looked as if she meant o kill him.
"You can get my son back and you're not going to pay?" she asked again.
Arthur took a step back. His blood running cold at seeing the wrathful look on his wife's face.
Ariadne never got angry. Not like this. No this perfectly calm, deadly hatred that meant she was capable of anything anger.
"We don't know if they have him." he tried to reason. "It's just a note-"
"Pay it!" she demanded sharply.
"Ariadne."
"Pay them the five million. We'll mortgage the apartment, my jewelry, sell of shares of the company, you get the money and you pay it!"
"Arthur's right." Cobb tried to reason. "They are only after money, we need proof of life first."
"Daniel could be dead already." Arthur added.
"Don't you say that!" she screamed. A piercing like call that frightened him. He had never seen her so scared, angry and sad all at once.
She looked at him as if he had betrayed her.
"Never say that again!" she shrieked "If you won't save your own son, I will!"
"Ariadne, just listen." Arthur pleaded. "We have to be careful we don't know enough-"
"My son has been kidnapped and his father won't pay to get him back. That's all I need to know!" she fumed.
Before he could stop her, she had turned on her heel and was gone. Her purse in under her arm and the car keys in her hand.