Chapter 6 - Escape from Westchester
At 4:00 AM, the rain turned into a blinding downpour.
Beneath the estate, a heavy stone panel slid open, revealing an underground exit tunnel that ran three hundred yards beyond the perimeter fence, terminating inside an abandoned drainage shed off the main highway.
Roman walked in front, his rifle raised, scanning the darkness with night-vision goggles. Nora followed close behind, holding Maisie, who was half-asleep, resting her head on Nora’s shoulder.
They reached the end of the tunnel. Roman pushed open a steel hatch and stepped out into the night air. Hidden beneath a camouflage tarp in the thick woods was an armored black SUV—a heavy, bulletproof beast built for war.
Roman disarmed the vehicle’s remote security system, opened the heavy door, and lifted Maisie into the back seat, carefully buckling her into a leather chair.
“In,” he told Nora.
She climbed in beside her daughter. Roman jumped into the driver’s seat, brought the powerful engine to life with a low, deep rumble, and pulled out onto the dark, rain-slicked highway without turning on the headlights until they were a mile away.
The drive toward New York City was tense and silent.
Nora watched the gray highway streak past. “Where are you taking us?”
“A safehouse in Tribeca,” Roman said, his eyes glued to the rearview mirror. “It’s a hardened penthouse. High security, private elevator, biometric access. Vance doesn’t know it exists.”
“And after that?” Nora asked, leaning her head against the window. “When Vance is… gone? What happens to us?”
Roman looked at her reflection in the mirror. “You’ll be given a new identity, Nora. Ten million dollars in an offshore account. A house anywhere in the world. You and Maisie will never have to work or worry again.”
Nora stared at him, stunned by the astronomical sum. “I don’t want your money, Roman.”
“It isn’t a bribe,” Roman said evenly. “It’s a debt. Your daughter saved my life tonight. I don’t leave debts unpaid.”
From the backseat, a small voice broke the heavy silence.
“Mr. Roman?” Maisie whispered, rubbing her eyes.
Roman adjusted the mirror so he could see her. “Yes, Maisie?”
“Are we going to the circus?”
Roman paused, a faint flicker of amusement softening his harsh eyes. “Why do you ask?”
May you like
“Because Mommy said only clowns play with fire.”
Roman let out a low, gravelly laugh that echoed through the armored vehicle. “Your mommy is a very wise woman, little one. But tonight, the clowns are going away for good.”
