Chapter 27 - Shadows in the Playroom
Daniel’s blood turned to liquid nitrogen.
He snatched his phone from his pocket, switching from the security feed to the live local news broadcast.
The headline flashing across the screen struck him like a physical blow:
**[BREAKING NEWS: PRISON TRANSPORT AMBUSH ON INTERSTATE 95 - TWO GUARDS DEAD, INMATE DIANE VANCE MISSING AND PRESUMED ARMED]**
The break-in at his home wasn't just a hit; it was a diversion. Julian hadn't been sent merely to kill Daniel; he had been sent to recover the biometric drive while Diane's hired crew ambushed her transport van miles away.
"Daddy?" Mason’s voice was small, terrified. "Is the bad grandmother coming here?"
Daniel knelt down, his eyes scanning the foyer. The auxiliary alarm was still screaming, but in the distance, through the pouring rain, Daniel could hear the distinct sound of a second vehicle pulling onto the gravel driveway outside.
Not police sirens.
A heavy, roaring diesel engine.
Diane Vance hadn't fled the state. She had come to collect what she believed belonged to her.
"Mason, listen to me," Daniel said, grabbing the boy by his shoulders, looking directly into his wide brown eyes. "We don't have time to wait for the cops. We are leaving right now through the woods behind the garden."
"What about Mommy's key?" Mason asked, patting the pocket where he kept his mother's secret.
"We have it. Now run!"
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Daniel scooped his son into his arms and bolted toward the back patio sliding doors. He kicked through the glass, shattering the remaining pane, and leaped out into the storm.
***
