Chapter 7 - THE NARROW ESCAPE THROUGH THE BONE-CHILLING SHADOWS OF THE NORTH SIDE
The sound of heavy boots on the stairs was a rhythm Savannah knew too well.
It was the sound of Roman’s men,
disciplined,
fast,
and lethal.
She clutched Maya to her chest,
the baby’s warmth the only thing keeping her from freezing in terror.
"Out the back,"
Elena commanded,
throwing the medical supplies into her bag with frantic speed.
Savannah tried to stand,
but her legs felt like lead,
the blood loss making her head spin.
Julian grabbed her arm,
hoisting her up with a strength born of desperation.
They moved toward the narrow service window,
the one that led to the rusted fire escape.
The wind outside was a monster,
screaming through the alleyway,
carrying needles of ice that bit into their skin.
Savannah stepped onto the metal grating,
feeling it groan beneath her weight.
Below them,
the black SUVs were already idling,
their headlights cutting through the snow like the eyes of hungry wolves.
"Stay in the shadows,"
Julian whispered,
guiding her down the stairs.
Every step was a fresh agony,
the stitches in her body pulling,
the cold air burning her lungs.
She looked up and saw a shadow move past the window they had just left.
Roman.
She knew it was him.
She could feel his rage,
a physical weight pressing down on the building.
He was standing in the room where his daughter had just been born,
and he was finding nothing but blood and empty blankets.
They reached the bottom of the fire escape,
dropping into a pile of dirty snow.
Julian led them through a maze of back alleys,
climbing over fences and ducking behind dumpsters.
The baby remained silent,
as if she knew that her life depended on the stillness.
They reached the delivery van,
a nondescript vehicle covered in rust and salt.
Savannah climbed into the back,
sinking into a pile of old moving blankets.
Julian hopped into the driver's seat,
starting the engine with a prayer.
They pulled out of the alley just as a group of men burst through the gate behind them.
Through the frosted glass of the rear window,
Savannah saw the flash of a muzzle.
The bullet shattered the side mirror,
but Julian didn't slow down.
He accelerated into the white-out,
leaving the hunters behind in the dark.
Savannah looked down at Maya,
who was looking back at her with wide,
dark eyes.
"We're okay,"
she lied,
May you like
her voice shaking.
"We're going to be okay."
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