Book 2, Chapter 38: Run to the Hills

**Third Person**  
**Flashback continued** 

It had been about three hours since Madison left Beth in her room. She was in her mother's private kitchen, putting the final touches on her master plan. She looked at the clock, and the final ding of the oven sounded just as Margi, Madison's favorite kitchen sous chef, came into the kitchen to announce lunch was ready. She was an older lady with salt-and-pepper hair, dressed impeccably in her chef's outfit. 

"Thank you, Margie!" Madison said sweetly.  

"Oh, sweet child, what a mess you made! You have been experimenting again, haven't you? Just like your mother," Margie said, shaking her head with a knowing smile on her face. Madison just gave her mischievous smile and walked up to the dear, sweet old lady, batting her eyelashes.  

"Oh, no! I'm not getting involved in one of your schemes," Margie said playfully, backing up like she wanted to bolt from the room.  

“Margie. Margie?” Madison sang.  

"Margie, please, be a dear and have the staff take these cookies and strawberry waters to all the guards. They all must be famished," Madison said, emphasizing famished heavily.  

"What did you do?" Margie's eyes narrowed.  

"Nothing!" Madison feigned shock. "They all work so hard. I just wanted to treat them. And since I am the Princess of this fine golden cage, they can't resist me!"  

"You are up to something. I can't say I blame you, darling. Just promise me it's nothing serious. No laxatives this time, right?" Margie's expression was sterner this time.  

"No, Margie, I pinky promise there is nothing in the cookies. Pinky Promise!" Madison said confidently, holding out her pinky. And for once, she wasn't telling a white lie. She may have overdone it on the sprinkles and Oreos in the batter, but she went for a more subtle concoction in the waters. She was thoroughly surprised when she read that eyedrops should not be consumed as they can cause temporary drowsiness and, in specific concentrations, knock someone out.
"I will take these up to the guards that are stationed in front of my brother's room," Madison instructed. She had an evil twinkle in her eye.   

"Oh shit, you have the sparkle in your eye. You are always picking on those poor men! Leave them alone; they are only doing their jobs," Margie encouraged.  
"They are just like my brothers. They are so stupid. Never let me do anything. And they don't play with me anymore. At least Damien is still willing to have tea parties with me! I will miss him the most when he goes with my brothers overseas in a few weeks," Madison sighs.  

"You will understand one day, Princess. You are very precious to everyone. If anything were to happen to you, your fathers would burn the world down. Your brothers, too. And every single one of those men out there. Remember that when you get grounded again," Margie said, bopping Madison on the nose. "I will instruct the rest of the staff to enjoy these treats as well, as usual..." she added as she left the kitchen. Madison was grateful for Margie. 

While Madison gorged herself on pasta, Margie set about delivering all the goods to the men around the compound. When it was time, Madison grabbed the remaining tray and headed upstairs, approaching her frenemies.  

"Princess, you need to go back to your rooms. We already let you here once; we can't do it again," Pablo ordered as he saw Madison approaching. He knew this girl was up to no good—she never was. 
"I know P. I just wanted to give you all a little treat. You aren't taking breaks, so I thought I'd bring a treat. A thank you for letting me 'slip' past you earlier," Madison said with a smile. Pablo raised a suspicious eyebrow; for being six foot five and three hundred pounds of pure muscle, even his eyebrows could be intimidating. He hesitantly took a cookie and sniffed it. "There's nothing in there this time! I pinky swear!" Madison exclaimed.  

Pablo hummed before rolling his eyes. He couldn't deny the girl anything, especially with her big doe eyes sparkling. "Alright," he sighed before taking a bite. He moaned as the chocolate goodness melted in his mouth.  

Soon, he and the other guards gobbled up three cookies each, and then Madison released a breath when they downed her strawberry drink.  

One Mississippi. Two Mississippi, Three Mississippi.... ten Mississippi. Madison counted in her head, her smile getting brighter. Pablo had started blinking rapidly.  

"What did you do, Maddie? What did you put in those cookies?" He asked, trying to shake the sudden and heavy drowsy feeling.  

"Nothing. I told the truth!" Madison squealed. The four men started dropping to their knees, their vision blurry, their heads floating on a cloud. "But... I may have forgotten to mention that I spiked your drinks!"  

"Maddie, you can't do this, Princess. Don't do what I think you are going to do, please, Princess. Don't leave the compound; it's not safe. Your family will kill us all," Pablo muttered weakly, his eyes unable to stay open.  

"Sleep tight, P," Madison whispered next to Pablo's ear and then kissed him on the cheek. She swiped all the badges, phones, wallets, and guns from the men and placed them. She then cuffed each one to another's ankle and pulled out the red lipstick she had swiped from her mother's vanity. She put some on each guard's lips and eyelids and cooed at how cute they looked. Madison went into the next room and pulled out her go bags, one with her clothes, her teddy, and essentials, and the other bag full of cash and two new burner phones she found hidden.  

Madison walked with purpose to Beth's room. She knocked three times before scanning Pablo's card on the fancy scanner that unbolted the door.  
"You ready?" Madison said, poking her head through the threshold. Beth was dressed in simple leggings with an overgrown sweater and tennis shoes. She had a small bag next to her. She stood up and slung the bag over her shoulder, a timid smile on her face.  

As they walked out of Beth's cage, she noticed immediately the passed-out guards. "Don't worry; they aren't dead. They are only sleeping. Eyedrops! Who would have thought? Don't try this at home, kids!" Madison answered Beth's silent question and laughed at her public service announcement.  

"You know, for a ten-year-old, you sure are diabolical," Beth observed.  

Madison's wicked smile widened. "You haven't had the pleasure of meeting my dads or my mom. Do you think my brothers are sadistic? They are babies compared to my parents. Oh, just wait till you see how we are leaving the house! I hope you know how to drive!" Madison sang as she skipped down the hall. 
They made haste down the winding corridors and down the stairs. Beth was shocked to see all the guards along the way pass out where they once stood tall and proud. Beth had butterflies in her tummy, wondering when someone would come out of hiding and hurt her.  

She followed the ten-year-old girl like a puppy. They came to a door, and a wall with easily fifty sets of keys was on the right. "Hmmm... let's do the Aston!" Madison chimed in, snatching a sleek black set of keys from the hook. "Dad hasn't put in the tracker yet on his new baby," Madison sang, her victorious smile growing.  

"Remind me never to piss you off," Beth murmured. Madison's smile widened more.  

The sound of a car beep helped the girls find their target. It was a midnight black car that still had the new car shine. Beth took the steering wheel while Madison piled in the front seat with their bags.  

Beth started the engine and moaned with delight. It was such a beautiful sound.  

"WAIT!" Madison screamed right before Beth put the car in drive. 

"We need music!" Madison proclaimed and pulled out her phone. She hooked up the device to the car, and within a minute, 'Run to the Hills' by Iron Maiden came on over the loudspeakers. The subwoofers on the vehicle were pounding, shaking the whole interior.  

"You are so fucking hilarious," Beth screamed and peeled out of the garage at record speeds. Madison pointed toward the front gates, and with a few clicks on the dash, the front gate opened wide upon their arrival, and the girls sang along with their new getaway anthem.  

But they didn't notice a black motorcycle hidden in the tall forest across the street when they began to drive. The man with the bike watched as the guards, one by one, fell to the ground like flies around the perimeter. When he saw the car, it was like Christmas morning for him. He was elated to see who was in the car and quickly fetched his bike and followed his target, his original assignment long forgotten.  

The prize in that car was worth more than everything else in that compound. He dialed his boss with his earpiece.  

"What?" the boss ordered.  

"You are never going to believe who I am following right now. And she doesn't have an escort, and she is headed right for headquarters," the biker's gruff voice said as he cranked up his engine to catch up to the sports car of dreams.  

"Don't fucking lose her. You know what to do. We will be ready," the boss said excitedly on the phone.  

"You got it, boss," the biker smiled wickedly. "Time to catch a birdie."