Chapter 27
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The ascent through the old coal chute was agonizing. The tunnel was terrifyingly narrow, forcing them to crawl on their stomachs through decades of accumulated filth and freezing mud. Vivienne pushed forward, ignoring the burning pain in her shoulders and the claustrophobic terror threatening to overwhelm her mind.
Above her, a faint sliver of grey light pierced the darkness.
"Almost there!" Vivienne called back, her voice echoing hollowly in the confined space.
She reached the top and pushed against a heavy wooden trapdoor. It was swollen with rot and water, but it gave way under her desperate shoving. Vivienne tumbled out onto the wet grass, gasping for the cold, fresh air.
Richard emerged a second later, pulling Vivienne to her feet.
They had surfaced on the far side of the ruined orphanage, near the rusted iron fence that bordered the dense woods. The rain had intensified into a torrential downpour, washing away the mud covering their clothes.
Laura and Samuel climbed out of the chute, both coughing violently from the dust and adrenaline.
"We need to move, now," Laura ordered, drawing her weapon and scanning the tree line. "Those enforcers won't take long to realize where this tunnel leads. They'll have a perimeter team waiting for us."
"The SUV is on the other side of the courtyard," Samuel panted, clutching his ribs. "It's too exposed. They'll shred us before we reach the doors."
"Then we go on foot," Richard decided, pointing toward the dense, overgrown forest. "We lose them in the woods and hike back to the main highway. Laura, call for backup."
Laura pulled her police radio from her belt, but it emitted only static. "They're jamming local frequencies. We're entirely on our own."
"Stay low and move fast," Samuel instructed.
They sprinted across the wet grass, diving into the cover of the thick trees just as the heavy wooden trapdoor of the coal chute was kicked violently open behind them. Flashlight beams immediately swept across the yard, searching for targets.
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"There!" a harsh voice shouted from the ruins. "Into the trees!"
Vivienne ran blindly through the forest, the branches whipping against her face. She held the heavy ledger tightly, knowing that this single book contained the power to destroy everything Malcolm had built. They had escaped the basement, but the hunt had only just begun.
