Chapter 8
Weaving silently through the labyrinthine corridors of the hedge maze, Elena kept her movements swift and deliberate. She could hear Daniel’s footsteps pacing a parallel row of hedges just a few yards away, the crunch of gravel and snapping twigs signaling his relentless pursuit. She concentrated on controlling her breathing, refusing to let panic compromise her stealth.
Emerging suddenly from the southern exit of the maze, Elena found herself standing at the edge of the estate’s working yard. Looming ahead was the weathered wooden maintenance shed, its sliding door slightly ajar. Without hesitation, she sprinted across the open grass and slipped inside, sliding the heavy door shut behind her and throwing the interior wooden latch into place.
The shed was dim, smelling strongly of gasoline, fertilizer, and old motor oil. Sunlight filtered in through a grime-covered high window, casting long dusty rays across rows of gardening tools, lawnmowers, and a battered utility cart. In the corner sat a scarred wooden workbench, and upon it rested an old-fashioned rotary landline telephone alongside a flickering CRT monitor displaying the estate’s security camera feeds.
Elena rushed to the desk, ignoring the security monitor for a moment, and grabbed the heavy black receiver of the landline. She lifted it to her ear. To her immense relief, a clear, steady dial tone hummed through the earpiece. Without wasting a second, she dialed 911, her fingers trembling as she pressed the buttons.
“911 dispatch, what is your emergency?” a calm, professional voice answered on the other end of the line.
“My name is Elena Oakridge,” she said, speaking in a rapid, urgent whisper. “I am at Oakridge Manor on Blackwood Road. My husband, Daniel Oakridge, and his mother, Margaret, are trying to kill me. They murdered Daniel’s first wife, Catherine, and they have been covering it up. I have documentation in the main house, and they are hunting me right now on the grounds!”
“Ma’am, stay calm. Are you in a safe location?” the dispatcher asked, her keyboard clacking loudly in the background as she logged the call and initiated a trace. “Units are already in the vicinity for a welfare check requested by an anonymous tip earlier today. What is your exact location on the property?”
“I’m in the maintenance shed near the south hedge maze,” Elena replied, glancing nervously at the shed door. “Please hurry. They know I found the files.”
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Before the dispatcher could respond, a heavy thud echoed against the wooden door of the shed.
“Elena, I know you’re in there,” Daniel’s muffled voice cut through the silence, cold and menacing. “Open this door right now, or I’ll take it down with a sledgehammer. You can’t hide from me here.”
