Chapter 4 - The Price of Freedom
"Stand back from the door, Lily! Stand all the way back!" Victoria shouted through the thick glass, her voice cracked with emotion.
She looked down at the unconscious mercenary, frantically searching his pockets and his tactical vest. She found a heavy ring of keys and a black keycard. She grabbed the card and swiped it through the reader beside the door. The lock clicked, and Victoria threw the door open, lunging into the room.
In an instant, Lily was in her arms. Victoria wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulling her so tight she felt like she could absorb the little girl back into her own body. Lily wept into her shoulder, her small hands clutching at the silver fabric of Victoria's gown.
"I knew you'd come, Mommy. I knew it," Lily sobbed, her voice muffled against Victoria’s neck.
"I will always come for you, my sweet girl. Always," Victoria whispered, kissing the top of Lily's head, her own tears flowing freely. "Are you hurt? Did they do anything to you?"
Lily shook her head, wiping her eyes with her small fists. "No. Just locked me in here. It was so cold and dark."
"I know, baby. But we're leaving right now. I need you to be very brave, okay? We have to move quickly and quietly. Can you do that for me?"
Lily nodded bravely, swallowing her tears. "Yes, Mommy. I can be brave."
Victoria picked Lily up, cradling her against her side. The little girl was growing, but Victoria felt a surge of supernatural strength, fueled by pure maternal instinct. She stepped out of the holding room, stepping over the unconscious mercenary, and headed back toward the concrete stairs.
But as they reached the base of the stairs, a loud, piercing siren began to wail throughout the entire estate. The red emergency lights in the corridor began to flash rhythmically, painting the walls in a bloody hue.
The lockdown, Victoria thought, her stomach dropping. They found the empty restroom. They know I'm gone.
"Mommy, what is that noise?" Lily asked, burying her face in Victoria's neck to block out the flashing lights.
"It's just an alarm, baby. Don't worry about it. Keep your eyes closed," Victoria urged, sprinting up the concrete stairs as fast as her bare feet could carry her.
She reached the top of the stairs and pushed through the heavy steel door back into the wine cellar. But as she stepped into the cellar, she heard the sound of heavy boots echoing from the service entrance above. Multiple guards were descending into the cellar.
"Search every corner! Check the subterranean vault!" a voice shouted from the stairs.
Victoria knew she couldn't go back the way she came. The main service stairs were blocked, and the ballroom would be surrounded by security. She needed another exit. She looked around the dark wine cellar, her mind racing. Every estate of this size, built in the early twentieth century, had old coal chutes or utility tunnels.
She moved deeper into the dark recesses of the cellar, away from the flashing lights and the approaching footsteps. In the furthest corner, behind a stack of rotting wooden crates, she found a small, rusted iron door set low into the foundation wall. It was a utility access tunnel, likely used for old plumbing or coal transport.
It was small, cramped, and covered in cobwebs, but it was their only chance.
"Lily, look at me," Victoria said, setting her daughter down for a moment. "I need you to crawl through this little door. It’s a tunnel that leads outside to the gardens. I'll be right behind you, okay?"
Lily looked at the dark, narrow opening and hesitated, fear gripping her face. "It's so dark, Mommy..."
"I know, baby. But I'll be right behind you. Hold my hand," Victoria said, reaching into the tunnel and holding her hand out. "We have to go now. Trust me."
Hearing the guards' voices getting closer, Lily nodded, dropped to her hands and knees, and wiggled through the narrow iron door. Victoria immediately followed, squeezing her frame through the tight opening, her silver gown tearing violently against the rusted iron frame.
The tunnel was a nightmare of tight brick and damp earth. They crawled on their hands and knees, Victoria keeping her hand firmly on Lily’s ankle to let her know she was there. The sound of the siren was muffled down here, replaced by the sound of their own heavy breathing and the scuttling of tiny insects in the dark.
After what felt like an eternity of crawling through the suffocating darkness, Victoria saw a faint glimmer of blue moonlight ahead. The tunnel ended at a rusted iron grate that looked out onto the estate’s outer gardens, near the perimeter fence.
May you like
Victoria pushed against the grate with all her strength, but it was rusted shut. She grunted, using her bare feet to kick violently against the iron bars. On the third kick, the rusted hinges gave way, and the grate tumbled outward into the soft grass.
Lily crawled out first, followed closely by Victoria. They emerged into the cool night air, the brilliant moonlight illuminating the massive expanse of the Whispering Pines gardens. They were outside the house, but they weren't safe yet. The high perimeter fence was still fifty yards away, and the grounds were crawling with searchlights and guards.
