Chapter 13 - The Unforeseen Escape
The chaotic shouting echoing down the precinct corridor shattered the fragile peace of the consultation room. Detective Miller leaped to her feet, flinging the door open just as a panicked rookie officer sprinted past, his radio crackling with frantic dispatch static.
"What's happening?" Detective Miller demanded, grabbing the rookie by the shoulder to stop him.
"It's Julian!" the officer gasped, breathing heavily. "During the prisoner transport transfer to the county courthouse ten minutes ago, his transport van was intercepted by an armed vehicle near the overpass. The guards were subdued, and Julian has escaped!"
Elena stepped out of the room behind the detective, her heart instantly slamming against her ribs with a terrifying intensity.
"Escaped?" Elena echoed, her voice trembling as the horror of the situation set in. "How is that even possible? He was in maximum-security holding!"
"Arthur Vance must have coordinated an outside rescue team using the remaining hidden assets they hadn't seized yet," Detective Miller said, her jaw clenching with fierce determination as she unclipped her radio from her belt. "Lock down the entire facility! Alert all state patrols and set up checkpoints along every major highway heading toward the coast!"
Within seconds, the entire precinct erupted into a flurry of motion, officers rushing to arm themselves and deploy squad cars into the morning traffic. Elena stood frozen in the center of the hallway, a cold sweat breaking out across her skin as she realized the nightmare was far from over. Julian was out there, desperate, cornered, and fueled by a burning desire for retribution against the people who had exposed him.
"You need to stay right here in a secure holding area, Elena," Detective Miller commanded urgently, grabbing her arm to guide her back toward a safe room.
"No," Elena said, pulling her arm back gently but firmly, her eyes flashing with a sudden, unyielding strength. "If he's running, he's heading for one place. The old coastal property where he hid the primary financial records and the physical evidence from his first murder."
Detective Miller stared at her for a long, calculating moment, recognizing the absolute truth in Elena’s words.
"Do you know where that property is?" the detective asked sharply.
Elena nodded, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the charred piece of the property deed the police had recovered from the fireplace two days ago.
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"I found this fragment in the ash tray before everything happened," Elena said, handing it over. "It's the abandoned lighthouse estate on the northern cliffs. That's where he always kept his secrets."
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