Chapter 13 - The Escape
The coal chute was tight, filthy, and suffocating. Clara pushed Julian up first, grunting as she lifted the boy. He scrambled out into the freezing, rain-soaked night. Clara followed, squeezing her shoulders through the narrow iron opening just as the backup generators kicked in, flooding the basement below with harsh fluorescent light.
She heard Graves shouting from the hallway. They were out of time.
Clara and Julian tumbled into the muddy bushes. Rain pelted them, washing away the soot.
"My car is parked near the servant’s gate," Clara panted, grabbing Julian’s hand and dragging him through the dark labyrinth of the gardens.
They reached her beat-up sedan just as alarms began to blare across the estate. Sweeping spotlights cut through the rain. Clara threw Julian into the passenger seat, jammed the keys into the ignition, and slammed her foot on the gas.
The car tore through the iron gates, snapping the wooden barrier in half, and sped off into the winding mountain roads.
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"Where are we going?" Julian asked, clutching the dashboard, his eyes wide with fear and adrenaline.
Clara glanced at the leather-bound ledger resting on the center console. "We’re going to get your mother back."
