Chapter 10: Breaking the Perimeter
Leo crossed the concrete floor of the garage with long, purposeful strides, keeping the newborn tucked securely against his chest with one arm. Grace hurried beside him, her boots clicking sharply against the polished concrete. She unzipped her leather handbag with trembling fingers as they reached the passenger side of the sedan, pulling out the heavy brass key fob and pressing the unlock button. The car responded with a sharp, double chirp and a flash of its hazard lights.
“Get in, quick,” Leo instructed, opening the rear door first to safely secure the infant car seat that was already locked into the back bench. He strapped the newborn in with practiced precision, ensuring the blue blanket was tucked snugly around the baby before slamming the rear door shut.
Grace slid into the passenger seat, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. Leo rounded the hood, sliding into the driver’s seat and slamming his door shut. He hit the push-to-start ignition button. The engine roared to life with a deep, throaty rumble, flooding the dashboard with amber and white illumination.
“Seatbelt,” Leo commanded, shifting the transmission straight into drive before Grace even had her belt fully clicked.
He stepped hard on the accelerator. The sedan surged forward, tires squealing against the polished concrete floor as they barreled toward the automated exit roll-up door. On the dashboard console, a red warning light flickered to life accompanied by a computerized chime: Perimeter Override Active – Manual Gate Clearance Required.
“Damn it,” Leo muttered under his breath. Martha’s security protocol had anticipated a vehicle departure. The main exit gate half a mile down the private drive was programmed to lock automatically if an unscheduled departure was detected.
“Can you override it from your phone?” Grace asked urgently, gripping the edge of the dashboard as the car raced down the descending driveway toward the perimeter fence.
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“I can, but it requires administrative credentials,” Leo replied, his eyes locked on the road ahead. He pulled the smartphone out of his pocket with one hand while keeping the other firmly on the steering wheel. He tapped the estate management app, navigating past the user error logs straight to the master administrator login prompt.
Ahead of them, through the rain-streaked windshield, the heavy iron security gate loomed large, glowing under the harsh glare of floodlights. Beyond that gate lay the open county highway—and safety. But the gate was firmly shut, its thick deadbolts locked tight.
