Mark dropped the heavy claw hammer onto the hardwood floor with a loud bang.
Mark: Mom?!
The muffled grunts from the attic ceiling became urgent and full of desperation.
Eleanor leaned forward in her chair trying desperately to reach the light beam.
Lily pointed her shaking finger at her mother while tears streamed down her cheeks.
Lily: She locked Grandma up there three days ago Daddy!
Lily: I heard Grandma tapping on the floorboards when Mommy went grocery shopping!
Mark turned his head slowly and stared at Sarah with absolute rage in his eyes.
Sarah backed away until her spine pressed hard against the living room wall.
Sarah: Mark listen to me please!
Sarah: I can explain everything if you just calm down for one minute!
Mark: You locked my helpless mother in an unheated attic for three whole days?
Mark did not wait for an answer as he climbed higher onto the ladder steps.
He used his bare hands to rip away larger pieces of fragile drywall.
He pulled himself up through the wide hole and into the dark dusty attic space.
The air up inside the roof structure was uncomfortably hot and stale.
Mark rushed over to his weak mother and knelt quickly down beside her chair.
He gently pulled the cloth gag away from her cracked and dry lips.
Eleanor gasped for fresh air and began coughing violently into her small hand.
Eleanor: Oh my sweet boy Mark!
Mark: I am right here Mom you are safe now.
Mark quickly untied the thick ropes wrapped tightly around his mother's wrist joints.
Her hands were cold to the touch and her wrists showed dark red marks.
Eleanor: She took my bank cards and my legal power of attorney papers Mark.
Eleanor: She said she was going to send me to a cheap home tomorrow morning.
Mark felt a wave of cold fury sweep through his entire blood stream.
He carefully lifted his weak mother into his strong arms like a child.
He carried her slowly toward the lower attic access hatch near the hallway door.
He opened the fold down wooden ladder that Sarah claimed was broken earlier.
Mark carried Eleanor safely down the ladder and set her on the soft couch.
Lily ran over immediately and threw her arms around her grandmother's fragile neck.
Lily: I am so sorry I didn't find you sooner Grandma!
Eleanor: You saved my life my sweet brave little girl.
Mark stood up straight and pulled his mobile phone out from his jeans pocket.
Sarah saw the bright phone screen and rushed forward in absolute desperation.
Sarah: Do not call the police Mark please think about our family business!
Mark: You stopped being my family the moment you did this to my mother!
Mark dialed three quick numbers and held the phone firmly against his ear.