Chapter 5 - The Escape
"Grab the kids," I hissed, hanging up the phone immediately.
I didn't waste time packing the suitcases.
Natalie tossed me the keys to the rental car she had parked out back.
Tessa grabbed Lily’s teddy bear, her hands shaking so badly she dropped it twice.
We slipped out the fire escape window just as heavy footsteps pounded against the hallway floorboards.
The sound of the apartment door being kicked off its hinges echoed into the alleyway.
We scrambled down the rusted iron stairs in the freezing rain.
I threw Owen into the backseat of the rental car while Natalie started the engine.
Tessa slid in beside the kids, sobbing quietly in the dark.
Natalie slammed on the gas, tearing out of the alleyway with the headlights turned off.
We didn't breathe until we were merging onto the interstate, miles away from the safehouse.
"He tracked the corporate lease," Natalie said, gripping the steering wheel tight.
"I should have known better than to use a property connected to previous firm cases."
"Where do we go now?" Tessa asked from the back.
"We go off the grid," I answered, pulling out my laptop.
"But first, I need internet access."
"If Grant used my credentials to build the shell company, that means my old passwords might still have admin access to the server."
We pulled into the parking lot of a deserted 24-hour diner.
I connected to their unsecured Wi-Fi, my fingers flying across the keyboard.
I bypassed Grant's rudimentary security protocols in less than three minutes.
The financial ledgers downloaded onto my screen, revealing every dirty transaction.
"Got it," I whispered, feeling a surge of triumph.
But then a secondary file caught my eye, labeled with my name.
I opened it, and the blood drained from my face.
"Mara?" Natalie asked, leaning over the console.
"What is it?"
May you like
"It's a life insurance policy," I choked out.
"He took out a ten-million-dollar policy on me yesterday, and it has an immediate payout clause."
