Chapter 14 - The Golden Cage
Miles away, in the heart of the city’s glittering skyline, Leo sat on the edge of a massive, silk-sheeted bed. The penthouse was a sprawling monument to extreme wealth, filled with priceless art and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the neon-lit metropolis. But to the seven-year-old boy, it was nothing more than a beautiful prison.
The heavy mahogany doors clicked open, and a woman in a pristine white nurse's uniform walked in, pushing a silver medical cart.
"Time for your vitamins, Leo," she said with a sickly sweet smile, holding up a small paper cup containing three colorful pills.
"I'm not taking those," Leo said defiantly, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes were red from crying, but his jaw was set with a stubbornness he had inherited entirely from his mother. "I want my mom."
"Your mother is very busy right now, dear," the nurse said, stepping closer. "Your grandmother insists you take these. They are to keep you strong for tomorrow."
"My grandmother is a monster," Leo spat, knocking the paper cup out of the nurse’s hand. The pills scattered across the plush Persian rug.
The nurse’s smile instantly vanished, replaced by a look of sheer, cold annoyance. "You listen to me, you little brat," she hissed, grabbing his arm tightly. "You can either take the pills, or I can call the men outside to hold you down while I inject it. The choice is yours."
Leo stared at the woman, his heart pounding. He remembered what his mother had taught him during their months on the run. Never show them you're scared. Look for the exit. Wait for an opening.
"Okay," Leo whispered, looking down at his feet to hide the calculation in his eyes. "I'll take them. Just don't call the men."
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The nurse sighed, letting go of his arm to bend down and retrieve the fallen medication. In that split second, Leo didn't hesitate. He grabbed the heavy brass lamp from the bedside table and pushed it directly onto the medical cart. The cart tipped over with a massive crash, glass vials shattering across the floor and sending the nurse stumbling backward in surprise.
Before she could recover, Leo bolted for the slightly ajar door, slipping through the gap and sprinting down the expansive, marble-floored hallway.
