Chapter 6
The kitchen clock ticked loudly in the silence, reading 11:15 PM. Time was slipping through their fingers like sand. Maya stacked the documents neatly and slid them back into the metal lockbox, clicking the latch shut with a decisive snap.
"We need to pack," Maya said, her voice steady and resolute. "Now. We grab Leo, grab the car keys, and we drive straight to Aunt Sarah’s place in Portland. It's four hours away. By the time David gets back, we'll be halfway across the state line."
Elena nodded slowly, the paralysis of shock finally giving way to maternal fierce protection. "Okay. Get the duffel bag from the master closet. I'll get Leo’s clothes and his medication."
They moved through the house with practiced, quiet efficiency. Maya slipped into the master bedroom, avoiding the side of the bed David slept on. She grabbed a large canvas duffel bag from the top shelf of the closet, tossing in extra clothes, chargers, and cash she kept hidden in a hollowed-out book. As she zipped the bag shut, a glint of metal caught her eye on the bedside table.
It was David’s backup phone, plugged into a charger. The screen was lit up with a persistent flashing notification.
Maya hesitated, then reached out and tapped the screen. The lock screen requested a four-digit PIN. She tried their wedding anniversary—incorrect. She tried Leo’s birthday—incorrect. On the third try, she entered her own birthday out of a strange hunch.
The phone unlocked with a soft chime.
Maya’s breath caught in her throat. The open application was an encrypted messaging app. The most recent chat thread was active, timestamped just ten minutes ago. The contact name was saved simply as The Director.
The message from David read: Subject secured in residence. Need extraction team at the old facility by dawn. Complications with the eldest daughter, handle accordingly.
Maya’s blood ran ice-cold. Handle accordingly. David wasn't just planning to take Leo; he had authorized someone to deal with her if she stood in the way.
She snapped a photo of the screen with her own phone as backup evidence, then unplugged David’s device and tossed it into her duffel bag. There was no time left for caution or half-measures. She sprinted back down the hallway into the kitchen where Elena was already waiting with a sleepy, confused Leo wrapped in a heavy winter coat.
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"Maya, what's wrong? You're as white as a sheet," Elena whispered, clutching Leo’s hand tightly.
"He called an extraction team," Maya said, her voice shaking with adrenaline. "They're meeting at the old facility by dawn. We have less than six hours before they track us down. We need to leave right now."
