Chapter 5 - The Pawn's Choice
The grinding of heavy steel shutters echoed through the estate like the closing of a massive vault.
Norah stood in the red emergency light, looking down at the man who technically owned her life.
She could leave him here to die, surrender to Marcus's men, and beg them for mercy.
But surrendering meant giving Arthur exactly what he wanted.
"If we stay here, they will execute us both," Norah said, her voice hardening with absolute resolve.
Declan looked up at her, surprised by the sudden, cold determination in her eyes.
"The main stairwell is blocked, and the elevators are shut down," Declan informed her grimly.
Norah ran into the trauma room and grabbed a handful of adrenaline syringes from the medical cabinet.
She knelt beside Declan and jammed one of the needles directly into his thigh.
Declan roared in pain, but his eyes instantly sharpened as the chemical rushed into his bloodstream.
"We are not taking the stairs," Norah declared, hauling him aggressively to his feet.
She threw his heavy arm over her shoulder and began dragging him down the hallway.
They moved as fast as they could, leaving a terrible trail of blood on the expensive carpet.
She led him past the master bedrooms and stopped in front of a small, unmarked wooden door.
"The laundry chute," Norah explained, pulling the small door open to reveal a dark, metal cylinder.
It was originally designed for heavy linens, but it was just wide enough to fit a human body.
"It drops straight down to the basement utility room, bypassing the first and second floors," she said.
Declan looked down into the pitch-black tunnel, a grim smile touching his pale lips.
"You really are full of surprises, Norah Vale," he muttered.
They could hear the armed men kicking open doors on the floor directly below them.
Norah forced Declan into the metal chute first, holding his collar so he wouldn't fall too fast.
She climbed in right after him, sliding down the smooth metal in total darkness.
They tumbled out into the basement laundry room, crashing hard against a pile of canvas bags.
Declan groaned, clutching his freshly stitched side as the adrenaline began to wear off.
Norah stood up and immediately covered her nose and mouth with her hand.
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The air in the basement was incredibly thick, making her eyes water instantly.
Someone had flooded the entire utility room with hundreds of gallons of raw gasoline.
