Chapter 58 - The Race to the Chateau
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We hijacked a delivery truck idling outside a bakery near the river. Ben threw the terrified driver a stack of euros and shoved him out of the cab, jumping behind the wheel. I climbed into the passenger seat, my hands shaking so violently I could barely hold my pistol.
Ben slammed the accelerator, the heavy truck tearing through the wet streets of Paris, running red lights and swerving past oncoming traffic.
"Call the chateau!" Ben yelled over the roaring engine. "Try Elias! Try the interior guard!"
I dialed the secure frequency on my satellite phone. It rang endlessly. No one picked up. I tried the secondary line, the perimeter sensors, the panic button in the nursery. Nothing.
"Total communications blackout," I choked out, tears of sheer terror streaming down my face. "He sold us out, Ben. Elias sold our baby to them."
"We will kill every single person in that house," Ben promised, his voice devoid of any humanity. It was the voice of a father who was prepared to burn the world to ashes.
The drive to the outskirts of Paris felt like an eternity. The rain lashed against the windshield, mirroring the violent storm raging in my chest. We finally careened off the main road, the truck fishtailing violently as we tore down the dirt path leading to the chateau.
The heavy iron gates were wide open.
Ben slammed on the brakes, the truck skidding to a halt on the gravel driveway. We jumped out, weapons raised.
The exterior was entirely silent. The twelve heavily armed men of the private security detail were nowhere to be seen. There were no bodies, no blood, no signs of a struggle. They had simply vanished.
"They abandoned their posts," I whispered, running toward the massive oak front doors. They were slightly ajar.
I kicked the doors open, raising my pistol, fully expecting a trap. But the grand foyer was completely empty. The server racks were still humming softly. Everything was perfectly in place, untouched.
May you like
Except for the deafening silence.
"Clara!" I screamed, sprinting up the grand staircase, tearing the heavy midnight blue silk of my gown as I ran. "Clara!"
