Chapter 8
The flashlight beam hovered inches from Elena’s face, illuminating the tiny beads of sweat on her forehead and the tear streaks dried upon her cheeks. She closed her eyes for a fraction of a second, preparing to run, when a sudden sharp noise echoed from the opposite side of the garden. A large decorative urn crashed onto the stone patio, deliberately drawing the guards’ attention away from the maze. One guard barked an order into his radio, and both men pivoted instantly, sprinting toward the source of the distraction. Elena did not waste a heartbeat questioning her unexpected reprieve. She bolted from the hedge line, hobbling on her mismatched footwear as she raced toward the western perimeter wall. The stone wall loomed before her, twelve feet high and topped with wrought-iron spikes and motion sensors. However, she knew of a structural vulnerability that the estate's architects had attempted to conceal years ago during a hasty renovation. She reached the ivy-covered base of the wall near a massive oak tree whose low-hanging branches stretched outward beyond the property line. Ducking beneath the heavy foliage, she felt along the stonework until her fingers located a hidden release panel. With a firm push, a concealed personnel gate popped open a mere two inches, groaning slightly as the pneumatic seal broke. Elena squeezed through the narrow gap, tumbling out onto the rough asphalt of the public access road that wound along the edge of the estate. She was finally outside the perimeter, but she was entirely exposed, dressed in a ruined red gown, with one bare foot and no vehicle. The cool night wind bit through the torn fabric of her dress, causing her to shiver violently. Down the winding road, the faint yellow glow of a public bus stop sign flickered in the darkness. It was her only immediate chance of blending in and getting toward the city center without drawing the attention of local law enforcement on Marcus's payroll. Limping steadily toward the shelter, she kept her head down, using her dark hair to partially obscure her face from passing traffic. A sleek black sedan suddenly rounded the corner fifty yards away, its high beams cutting through the mist. Elena ducked behind the concrete wall of the bus shelter just as the vehicle slowed down, cruising past at a crawl. It was one of Marcus’s security cruisers, scanning the outer perimeter for any sign of her escape. She held her breath, praying the shadows would conceal her until the car finally accelerated and disappeared down the highway. The distant rumble of an approaching city bus echoed down the road, bringing with it a fragile glimmer of hope.
