Part 7
The kitchen pantry was dark,
smelling of dried herbs,
and expensive spices.
I led Lily through the shelves,
moving toward the rear exit that led to the loading dock.
The walkie-talkie on my belt erupted with sudden,
frantic chatter,
shattering the silence of the room.
"We have a breach,"
the voice shouted,
"Guard three is non-responsive,
and the eastern wing camera was deliberately cut.
Lock down the main gates,
and secure the asset."
They knew I was inside,
the illusion of safety was gone,
and the hunt had turned into an open war.
"They know,"
Lily whispered,
her voice tight with panic,
as she gripped my arm.
"It doesn't matter,"
I said,
keeping my voice calm,
"We are already ahead of them,
just stay close to me."
I pushed open the heavy pantry door,
stepping into the main kitchen,
where the stainless-steel counters gleamed under the emergency lights.
The red strobe lights began to flash,
a silent alarm warning the entire estate,
that an intruder was present.
Suddenly,
the kitchen doors burst open,
and two security guards rushed into the room,
their weapons drawn.
"Freeze!"
one of them yelled,
pointing his firearm directly at my chest.
I didn't hesitate,
I didn't argue,
I reacted with the muscle memory of a man who had survived a dozen ambushes.
I grabbed the heavy metal tray resting on the counter,
flinging it with all my strength,
straight at the first guard's face.
The tray struck him with a loud clang,
sending his weapon flying,
and knocking him backward into his partner.
I lunged forward,
closing the distance before they could recover,
and delivered a sharp strike to the second guard’s solar plexus.
He doubled over,
gasping for air,
and I swept his legs from under him,
sending him crashing to the tiled floor.
The first guard tried to scramble for his fallen gun,
but I stepped on his wrist,
hard enough to make him cry out,
and kicked the weapon under the refrigerator.
"Move,
Lily!"
I shouted,
grabbing her hand,
and pulling her toward the back exit.
We burst through the kitchen doors,
entering the rainy night,
the cold air hitting our faces like a slap.
The storm had intensified,
the wind howling through the trees,
and tearing at my clothes.
The main driveway was blocked by two security SUVs,
their searchlights cutting through the downpour,
searching for any movement.
We couldn't go back to my car,
the path was too exposed,
and they would be watching the perimeter fence.
"Where are we going?"
Lily cried over the noise of the wind,
her hair soaked,
her body shivering from the cold.
"The old boathouse,"
I said,
remembering the map of the estate I had studied,
"There’s a river access at the edge of the property,
and Victor keeps a private launch there."
We ran across the wet lawn,
May you like
the shadows our only protection,
as the searchlights scanned the dark behind us.
