Chapter 12 - Breaking the Grid
The screech of metal tearing against rusted masonry filled the narrow drainage tunnel as the operative above applied brute force to the grate. Sparks showered down into the darkness, illuminating Jax’s hardened face and the terrified eyes of little Lily pressed tightly against his side.
"Hold on to me, close your eyes," Jax whispered fiercely to the child.
With a sudden, explosive roar, Jax lunged upward from the crouched position, driving the heavy industrial wrench straight through the rusted slats of the grate. The metal tool struck the operative's crowbar with a deafening clang that echoed violently down the subterranean concrete pipe, sending vibrations straight up the man's arms.
"Argh!" the operative shouted in surprise, stumbling backward off the grate.
Jax didn't waste a second. He planted his boots against the slippery brick floor and threw his entire muscular weight upward against the iron barrier. The old masonry surrounding the hinges groaned, cracked, and finally gave way with a resounding thud as the entire grate popped free, flying upward into the night air.
"Move! Now!" Jax ordered, hoisting Sarah into a bridal carry once again and grabbing Lily’s small hand in a unbreakable grip.
They scrambled out of the drainage pit and burst out onto the open gravel road behind the botanical gardens. The cool night air hit them like a physical wall, carrying the acrid stench of the burning manor in the distance. The towering wrought-iron perimeter fence loomed just fifty yards ahead, separating the estate grounds from the open highway beyond.
"We're almost there! Keep running!" Jax shouted, pushing his burning legs past the pain of his grazed shoulder.
As they sprinted toward the fence, the blinding high-beams of a vehicle suddenly slashed through the darkness ahead of them. A sleek, black sedan tore around the gravel bend, cutting off their path to the exit gates and skidding to a halt with a cloud of white smoke.
The passenger door swung open, and stepping out into the glare of the headlights was a familiar figure in an immaculate, soot-stained white blazer. It was Elena.
She held a heavy, suppressed automatic pistol in her trembling right hand, her once-pristine hair matted with sweat and dirt, her eyes wild with absolute desperation.
May you like
"Give me the drives, Jax," Elena screamed over the roar of the idling engine, the muzzle of the gun wavering unsteadily as she pointed it directly at Sarah's chest. "If you take one more step, I swear I'll finish what I started in that car."
---
