The Pursuit
The alarm at the Governor’s mansion sounded not with a bell, but with a sudden flurry of activity among the security detail. Men in earpieces began moving quickly through the ballroom, scanning faces with aggressive intensity.
Clara didn't run; running invited attention. She walked calmly toward the terrace doors, stepping out into the cool night air of the gardens.
"Clara! Over here!" a voice called from the shadows of the manicured hedges. It was Arthur, waiting near a maintenance gate with a rented sedan.
As she sprinted across the lawn, two security guards spotted her. "Stop! State Police! Freeze!"
Clara threw off her high heels, running barefoot over the damp grass. She reached the gate just as Arthur threw it open. She dived into the passenger seat, and Arthur slammed his foot on the gas, the tires screeching as they sped away into the darkness, leaving the flashing lights of the Governor’s mansion behind them.
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"Did we do it?" Arthur gasped, his hands shaking on the steering wheel.
Clara looked back at the receding lights of the estate. "We did it. The data is live. The entire state knows who Thomas Sterling really is."
