Chapter 2 - The Catacombs of New York
The wine cellar was a maze of mahogany racks, holding bottles worth more than most people's homes.
It was also completely soundproof and freezing cold.
Anthony didn't stop moving, pulling Sofia past the rare vintages of Barolo and Chianti.
"Where are we going?" Sofia gasped, her chest heaving as she stumbled in her rubber work boots.
"When I built this place, I found an old Prohibition tunnel," Anthony explained, his voice hushed but urgent.
"I kept it sealed, but it leads straight to the subway maintenance shafts under 5th Avenue."
He reached the back wall, pushing against a seemingly solid oak shelving unit.
With a heavy groan, the hidden door swung open, revealing a dark, brick-lined corridor smelling of dirt and old rain.
They slipped inside, and Anthony pulled the heavy door shut behind them, plunging them into absolute darkness.
He took out his phone, switching on the flashlight.
"We have to keep moving," he whispered. "Preston has the building's blueprints, but he doesn't know about this."
They walked in silence for what felt like hours, the distant rumble of subway trains shaking the dirt above their heads.
Sofia was shivering violently, the wet dishwashing apron clinging to her freezing skin.
Anthony took off his chef's coat and draped it over her shoulders.
"I'm so sorry, Dad," she whispered, tears cutting clean lines through the grime on her face.
"I thought he was a good man. I thought I was protecting you by staying away."
Anthony stopped and pulled her into a fierce, desperate hug.
"You never have to protect me, Sofia," he said fiercely. "I am your father. It is my job to protect you."
The tunnel sloped upward, ending at a rusted iron grate.
Anthony pushed it open with all his remaining strength.
They climbed out into a deserted alleyway, the freezing rain of a New York November instantly soaking them.
"We need a place to hide," Sofia said, looking around at the shadowy street. "He can track my face on any street camera."
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Anthony nodded, pulling his baseball cap down over his brow.
"I know a place. But we have to stay off the grid."
