Chapter 6 - THE SHADOWS OF THE EAST WING
The sun had dipped below the horizon, plunging the Sterling estate into a deep, bruised twilight. Elena kept low against the trimmed hedges of the formal garden, her bare feet silent against the damp grass as she circled toward the south garden utility shed.
Through the darkness, she could see Victoria's black luxury sedan idling near the main gates, its headlights cutting twin beams through the misty evening air. Victoria herself was standing near the trunk, slamming a heavy metal briefcase shut with an impatient expression.
Elena skirted the edge of the stone patio, keeping the bulk of the rose bushes between herself and the car, moving steadily toward the padlocked shed.
"Arthur!" she whispered fiercely, pressing her ear against the reinforced wooden door. "Arthur, can you hear me?"
"Elena?" Arthur's muffled voice responded instantly from within. "How did you—get out of the cell? Get away from here, Victoria has a perimeter watch!"
"Sam dropped the keys through the ventilation shaft," Elena replied rapidly, raising the heavy iron wrench she had brought from the basement. "Stand back from the door. I'm going to break the padlock."
"The shackle is hardened steel, you won't—"
Before he could finish, Elena swung the iron wrench with every ounce of strength she possessed, striking the brass housing of the padlock with a resounding CLANG that echoed sharply across the quiet lawn. Sparks flew into the dark air as the metal cracked down the middle. She swung a second time, harder, and the lock shattered into pieces, clattering onto the gravel path.
Arthur threw his weight against the door, bursting out into the cool night air with his service weapon already drawn.
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"She's heading for the front gates," Arthur breathed, checking the slide of his pistol. "If she gets onto the highway with the bearer bonds, we lose her jurisdiction."
"Not if we cut through the old greenhouse," Elena said, grabbing his sleeve. "I know a shortcut that leads straight to the main drive."
