Chapter 6 - The Emergency Protocol
The guard’s grip on my arm was agonizing, but the moment he turned his head to speak to his partner, I used the only weapon I had. I slammed my heavy, steel-toed work boot down onto his instep.
He yelled in pain, his grip loosening for a fraction of a second. That was all I needed. I tore myself away, bolted out of the playroom, and ran down the grand staircase, my heart pounding in my ears.
"Get her!" Victoria shrieked from above.
I reached the kitchen just as the second guard was entering from the back hallway. I grabbed a heavy copper skillet from the hanging rack above the island and swung it with everything I had. It struck his shoulder with a loud metallic clang, throwing him off balance.
I didn't stop to see if he was down. I rushed into the pantry, pulling open the hidden wooden door behind the flour sacks.
Leo was curled into a tiny ball, holding Humphrey over his mouth to keep from crying. I scooped him into my arms, not saying a word, and ran out through the kitchen’s service exit, which led to the mansion’s sprawling, snow-covered gardens.
The winter wind cut through my thin shirt, but I didn't care. I ran toward the stone maze at the edge of the property, knowing the guards wouldn't know the layout as well as Elena and I did.
As we sprinted across the snow, my phone vibrated violently in my pocket. I pulled it out with one hand while balancing Leo on my hip. It was Arthur.
"Clara! Where are you?" his voice was frantic, sirens wailing in the background of his call. "The board meeting was a trap. Victoria forged the audit documents to get me out of the building. I’m with the state police now, we're five minutes away—"
"She’s at the house, Arthur!" I screamed into the phone, dodging behind a massive stone hedge. "She has a fake guardianship order! We're in the garden maze, but her guards are hunting us!"
Before Arthur could answer, a heavy hand grabbed the collar of my denim jacket from behind, throwing me violently to the ground.
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Leo flew from my arms, landing in the soft snow a few feet away, his stuffed elephant slipping from his grip.
The first guard stood over me, his face bruised from where I had hit his foot, a cold, vicious smile touching his lips. "End of the line, sweetheart. Miss Vance wants the kid, and she wants you quiet."
