Chapter 8: Shadows in the Rain
The rain battered against the tall stained-glass windows of the manor as Clara guided Leo through the narrow, unlit servant staircase. Below them, heavy footfalls and the muffled crackle of two-way radios echoed through the marble corridors.
"Check the master bedroom! Find the kid, grab the hard drives, and torch the study!" a gruff voice commanded.
Clara pressed her back against the wooden paneling, her heart pounding like a war drum. She held her hand over Leo’s mouth, whispering into his ear: "Be brave, Leo. Stay as quiet as a mouse."
Leo nodded, holding a small wooden airplane Julian had given him tightly against his chest. Even in the face of terror, the boy showed remarkable courage, trusting Clara completely.
Clara knew the grounds well from her catering duties over the years. She slipped out through the cellar pantry door into the pouring storm, keeping low behind the overgrown rose bushes. Mud soaked through her sneakers, and the wind whipped violently, but she refused to stop.
She pulled out her cheap prepaid cell phone and dialed Julian’s direct number.
"Clara? Where are you?" Julian’s frantic voice answered on the first ring.
"They're inside the house, Mr. Sterling! Men with guns. I have Leo. We're running toward the old boathouse by the lake!"
"Hold on, Clara! I'm five minutes away with federal marshals! Do not let them see you!"
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As Clara hung up, the glare of a high-powered tactical flashlight swept across the wet grass, catching her silhouette against the trees.
"There they are! By the lake! Move, move!"
