Chapter 13 - The Desperate Escape
My legs felt entirely like jelly, shaking violently as my bare feet hit the cold marble floor of the clinic.
I grabbed a thick, plush robe from the back of the door, wrapping it tightly around my bleeding, exhausted body.
I had to get to the NICU and find my son before Julian could complete his frantic, destructive escape plan.
I cautiously poked my head out into the hallway, expecting to see guards, but the corridor was completely abandoned.
Julian's sudden downfall had clearly sent his entire corrupt staff into a massive, disorganized panic to save themselves.
I shuffled down the hallway as fast as my battered body would allow, leaning heavily against the wall for desperate support.
I pushed through the swinging double doors of the neonatal unit, my eyes wildly scanning the rows of plastic incubators.
Elena was standing near the far wall, holding a tiny bundle wrapped tightly in a blue hospital blanket.
When she saw me, her eyes widened in relief, and she immediately rushed forward to hand me my precious son.
"I got the text through to Sarah, Clara, she said the FBI is already on their way to this exact location," Elena whispered urgently.
"Julian is trying to run, he wants to take the baby and leave the country," I panted, clutching my baby fiercely against my chest.
Elena's expression hardened into pure, protective fury as she grabbed a heavy metal fire extinguisher from the wall mount.
"He is not taking this baby anywhere," she declared fiercely, leading me toward the back emergency exit of the clinic.
We burst through the heavy metal doors out into the cool, damp night air of the private parking lot.
Just as we reached the shadows, the loud, aggressive roar of a massive engine echoed off the concrete walls.
Julian's black SUV skidded around the corner, the bright headlights completely blinding us in the dark alleyway.
The heavy vehicle slammed to a halt, blocking our only path to the main street, and Julian leaped out from the passenger side.
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He was holding a dark, metallic handgun, pointing it directly at the ground as he stalked furiously toward us.
"Give me my son, Clara, right now!" he screamed, his voice echoing violently in the quiet night.
