Chapter 10
The pantry wall backed up directly against the exterior utility alcove on the north side of the house—a narrow concrete passage tucked away behind the air conditioning compressor units where the local neighborhood patrol rarely walked. It was an unorthodox escape route, but Julian’s analytical mind had already mapped the architectural blueprints of the home he had meticulously designed three years prior.
"The drywall in the pantry is single-layer gypsum over wooden studs," Julian said, his voice clipped and precise as he grabbed a heavy steel-handled fire extinguisher mounted beside the washer-dryer unit. "It’s non-load-bearing. If we smash through the lower panel behind the canned goods shelving, we can crawl out into the utility alcove and drop down behind the privacy hedge."
Claire adjusted the baby carrier, securing Sophie tightly against her chest with one arm while gripping the handle of a heavy plastic storage bin with the other. "And if the man outside hears the noise ?"
"He’s watching the main pathways," Julian replied, his eyes dark and resolute. "He’s expecting us to try the front doors or the garage path. He won't be expecting us to tear through our own drywall like trapped animals."
Without waiting for another objection, Julian turned and marched back into the kitchen, heading straight for the pantry door. The interior of the pantry was bathed in complete darkness, but the beam of the tactical flashlight cut through the gloom, illuminating rows of neatly organized glass jars and canned goods. Julian didn't hesitate. He swung the heavy steel fire extinguisher with both hands, driving the rounded bottom edge straight into the drywall beneath the bottom shelf.
CRASH.
The sound was deafening in the confined space. Plaster dust exploded into the air in a thick, choking white cloud, coating the shelves and making Claire cough softly into the crook of her elbow. Sophie buried her face against Claire’s neck, crying quietly in sheer fright at the violence of the noise.
Julian struck the wall again and again, grunting with physical exertion as the wooden studs splintered and the gypsum gave way under the relentless barrage. After four heavy blows, a ragged, jagged hole large enough for an adult to crawl through opened up, revealing the cold, dark concrete of the exterior utility alcove outside.
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"Go !" Julian urged, dropping the dented fire extinguisher with a heavy clatter. He grabbed the edges of the jagged hole, snapping off a protruding wooden splinter that could snag clothing. "Get through, Claire. Keep low to the ground and head straight for the cedar hedge. Don't stop for anything."
Claire didn't hesitate. Kneeling down on the dusty pantry floor, she carefully maneuvered Sophie through the opening, shielding the toddler’s head with her hand as she eased herself through the sharp edges of the broken wall. The cold night air hit her skin like ice water, but the open space beyond offered their only remaining chance at survival.
