Chapter 7 - The Drainage Tunnel
The back door blasted open with a deafening screech of ripping metal. Sarah grabbed Lily, lifted the wooden trapdoor in the pantry, and slipped down the concrete steps into the pitch darkness below.
Above, Clara intentionally knocked over a stack of metal pots, screaming in false panic to draw their attention toward the dining hall. Footsteps pounded overhead, followed by Arthur’s roar and the unmistakable sound of a physical struggle.
Sarah bit her lip until it bled, forcing herself not to turn back. Her sole focus was Lily. Switching on the tiny flashlight Clara had slipped her, Sarah navigated the narrow, dank brick canal. Murky runoff water swirled around her ankles, but she kept Lily cradled high against her chest.
“Mommy, I’m cold,” Lily whimpered softly against her ear.
“I know, sweetheart. Just hold onto Teddy. We’re almost safe,” Sarah whispered back, each step sending shocks of pain through her bruised torso.
The tunnel sloped upward, leading toward an iron drainage grate that opened into the ravine bordering the city outskirts. Pushing against the rusted bars with all her remaining strength, Sarah shoved the grate open and climbed out into the drenched wilderness.
She collapsed onto the muddy embankment, gasping for air. The city lights glowed dimly against the stormy clouds half a mile away.
May you like
Suddenly, two blinding headlights crested the gravel ridge above the ditch. A black SUV skidded to a halt at the top of the embankment. The driver’s side door swung open, and a man stepped out into the rain.
Sarah scrambled backward, shielding Lily with her body. But instead of Arthur, a man in an FBI tactical windbreaker raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture, holding up an official gold badge.
