Page 32 of King’s Ransom

‘Nice jump, kid,’ Bill said, nodding. ‘Quick thinking.’

Then the group from upstairs descended upon us, led by Special Agent Hooper, Director Longmuir, Quinn McCade and Audrey.

Longmuir was yelling into his phone: ‘Get some people to the bottom of the shaft! And call the coroner! There’s a dead body down there and it ain’t gonna be pretty.’

As he shouted, two of the junior FBI agents cut the boy’s bonds and gag while Audrey helped untie the (quite heavy) fire hose from my waist.

‘You’re crazy, you know that?’ she said.

‘Heidi already told me that.’

Audrey gave me a quick kiss. ‘You saved that little boy’s life by being crazy. I’m proud of you.’

The junior agents were about to whisk little Alexei away when I stood up.

‘Whoa now, wait!’ I said. ‘You’re not taking him anywhere. Where’s his mom? That kid’s not leaving this foyer except in his mother’s arms.’

That silenced everyone in the vestibule.

‘Where’s his mother?’ I asked Special Agent Hooper.

‘Uh, still up in the living room, I think—’

‘I’m here,’ a low voice said, making everyone turn.

Mrs Yasmina King was standing at the back of the gathered crowd.

She’d been watching everything.

She strode forward, shoving roughly past Hooper, scooping up her six-year-old son and wrapping her arms protectively around him.

‘Alexei, are you hurt? It’s all right, Mama’s here, Mama’s here,’ she said. Her Russian accent was strong.

I couldn’t believe how tall she was.

In her track top, yoga pants and flip-flops, she was still taller than almost everyone in the foyer, except maybe Hooper and Merritt Garrett.

‘Mrs King . . .’ Quinn McCade said, stepping over to her.

She slapped him.

Hard.

Right there in front of everybody.

‘Get away from me, you corporate snake,’ she hissed.

McCade retreated behind the FBI people.

Then Yasmina King’s eyes found mine.

‘You! Your name?’

‘Sam Speedman.’

‘You are the man who jumped into shaft to save my son?’

‘Yes, ma’am.’