Chapter 8 - The Broken Circle
Clara did not hesitate. She swung her pink backpack with all her strength, striking Marcus across the face. The heavy pocket watch inside the bag connected with his cheekbone, causing him to stagger backward with a cry of pain.
"Run, Lily!" Clara screamed, bolting toward the open plaza.
Pedestrians yelled in surprise as Marcus lunged, catching the fabric of Clara’s dress. The seam tore, freeing her as she scrambled across the polished granite steps. Lily darted around a revolving door, slipping into the crowded atrium of the commerce center just ahead of him.
The security guards moved to intercept Marcus, confused by the altercation. "Sir, step back from the children!"
"Those are my wards!" Marcus roared, flashing a credential wallet. "They are in shock! Detain them!"
The guards hesitated, divided between corporate authority and the obvious terror of two young girls. Clara caught up to Lily by the central elevator bank. The doors to the express elevator were closing. Lily jammed Julian’s pocket watch between the rubber sensors, forcing the doors open.
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They tumbled inside, pressing the button for the tenth-floor archives just as Marcus broke free from the guards, his bloodied face appearing through the closing glass doors.
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