Chapter 3 - The Midnight Escape
The rain beat heavily against the hospital window,
creating a steady,
rhythmic pattern of sound.
Doctor Morrison helped me slide out of the bed,
my legs trembling from the recent ordeal of birth.
I held my baby strapped tightly against my chest,
wrapped in a warm,
soft flannel blanket.
"Can you walk,
Vivian?"
the doctor whispered,
holding my elbow to steady my balance.
"I have to,"
I replied through gritted teeth,
forcing myself to stand straight.
"I won't let them touch him,
not after everything they've done."
We bypassed the main hallway,
slipping through a heavy steel service door instead.
The smell of bleach and industrial laundry filled the air,
reminding me of my long nights at the Meridian building.
We walked down a long,
dimly lit concrete ramp that led toward the basement.
My body ached with every single step,
but the adrenaline kept the pain at bay.
"My car is parked near the loading dock,"
Doctor Morrison said,
checking the hallway corners carefully.
"I have a safe house outside the city limits,
where Eleanor's men won't think to look."
Suddenly,
the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the stairs above us.
"They're already checking the floors,"
I whispered,
panic tightening its grip around my throat.
"Hurry,"
the doctor urged,
pushing open the final exit door into the stormy night.
The cold rain hit my face,
instantly waking up my exhausted senses.
We ran across the wet asphalt toward a dark SUV,
its engine already idling quietly.
Before we could reach the door,
bright headlights flared to life from across the parking lot.
A black sedan roared toward us,
its tires screeching against the wet pavement.
"Get in!"
Doctor Morrison shouted,
throwing open the passenger door for me.
I scrambled inside,
shielding my son's head with my arms as the door slammed shut.
The doctor jumped into the driver's seat,
shifting the gear into reverse immediately.
The SUV spun backward,
narrowly avoiding the front bumper of the black sedan.
I looked out the window and saw Julian's security guards jumping out of their vehicle.
They were shouting,
their faces distorted by the glare of the bright lights.
Doctor Morrison slammed his foot on the gas pedal,
and the SUV surged forward into the darkness.
We burst through the parking garage gate,
shattering the wooden barrier into small pieces.
The city streets were empty,
blurred by the cascading sheets of endless rain.
"Are you alright,
little one?"
I murmured to my son,
checking his breathing in the dim light.
He let out a tiny,
soft coo,
completely unbothered by the dramatic escape.
I looked back,
but the headlights of our pursuers had finally disappeared into the storm.
"We lost them,"
Doctor Morrison sighed,
his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
"But only for now,
Vivian."
"Eleanor has tracking devices on my personal vehicles,
I'm certain of it."
"Then why did we take your car?"
I asked,
a sudden wave of fear returning.
"Because we aren't going to the safe house,"
he revealed,
turning down a narrow alleyway.
"We are going to the one place she dares not tread."
He stopped the SUV behind a grand,
iron-gated estate that looked like a fortress.
The stone walls were covered in ivy,
and a massive crest was carved into the archway.
It was the Wright ancestral home,
the heart of the empire Eleanor wanted so badly.
"The gates are open,"
the doctor noted,
his voice filled with a strange reverence.
"He has been waiting for you,
Vivian."
The iron gates slowly swung inward,
inviting us into the dark,
luxurious grounds.
I looked up at the towering mansion,
its windows glowing with a warm,
amber light.
My heart pounded against my ribs as the car came to a final stop.
The door to the mansion opened,
and a tall figure stepped out into the rain holding an umbrella.
He wore a long black coat,
and as he approached the car,
May you like
the light caught his face.
He had the exact same silver eyes as my newborn son.
