Leo crept down the carpeted stairs toward the quiet basement doorway.
The heavy basement door was left slightly open with light shining through.
He held his breath and stepped quietly down the cold concrete steps.
The basement wall was built with thick stone and solid iron beams.
At the far end of the hallway sat the giant steel vault door.
The heavy circular steel wheel on the front was locked completely shut.
Leo heard a soft muffled tapping coming from inside the thick vault.
Leo: Grandma, are you inside there, can you hear my voice?
Evelyn: Leo, my sweet boy, please find help, it is so cold!
Leo felt cold tears spring into his frightened young eyes immediately.
Patricia had trapped ninety-eight year old Evelyn inside the dark concrete room.
The vault had thick air vents but no light switches on the inside.
Leo tried to grab the heavy circular steel wheel with both hands.
He pulled with all his strength, but the metal mechanism was locked tight.
Suddenly heavy footsteps sounded at the top of the basement stairs.
Patricia walked down the concrete steps with a cold stare on her face.
Patricia: What do you think you are doing down here right now?
Leo: You locked my grandmother inside this vault, let her out!
Patricia: Get out of here right now or I will lock you in too!
Leo backed away slowly as Patricia stepped forward to block the path.
She grabbed his arm firmly and pointed toward the wooden basement stairs.
Patricia: Walk upstairs to your bedroom before I make things much worse!
Leo: My dad will be back soon and he will call the police!
Patricia: Your father is thousands of miles away on a coast flight.
Patricia: By the time he returns, she will sign every single paper.
Leo knew he could not fight Patricia by himself in the basement.
He turned around and ran up the stairs as fast as possible.
He sprinted into the main study where the house landline phone sat.
He picked up the black receiver and dialed his father's mobile number.
The phone rang five long times before going straight to voicemail box.
Daniel's plane was already up in the air above the clouds.
Leo felt absolute panic washing over his entire mind and body.
He needed to find a way to reach his father immediately.
He opened his father's laptop computer resting on the big wooden desk.
He saw an active messaging app connected to the airplane wifi network.
Leo typed out a rapid frantic message with trembling fingers on keys.
Leo: Dad, come back home right now, Patricia locked grandma inside vault!
He pressed the send button and waited for the small green checkmark.
The flight notification showed that Daniel received the urgent text message.
Three thousand miles away, Daniel sat inside the airplane first class cabin.
He stared at his phone screen in total disbelief and pure terror.
He immediately stood up and grabbed his leather bag from above.
Daniel: Flight attendant, tell the captain to turn this plane around now!