Chapter 10 - The False Escape
David shushed her quickly, pressing a finger to his lips.
He pulled her into a dark supply closet as heavily armed guards rushed past them in the hallway.
He quickly explained that Mr. Marcus had a change of heart and helped him escape police custody to track the ambulance.
David had neutralized a guard outside and stolen his uniform to infiltrate the compound.
They waited until the hallway was clear, then moved silently toward the facility's control room.
David moved with military precision, taking down two more guards in brutal, silent strikes.
They reached the surgical wing where Victoria and the grandfather were frantically searching for Lily.
David locked the heavy steel doors from the outside control panel, trapping the villains inside their own sterile prison.
Victoria screamed and banged on the reinforced glass, but David didn't even look back.
They slipped out through a side loading dock into the blistering heat of the desert afternoon.
David had parked a stolen black SUV behind a cluster of red rocks.
He lifted Lily into the passenger seat and handed her a bottle of cold water.
They drove away from the compound, the tires kicking up massive clouds of dust as they headed toward the highway.
Lily drank the water, finally letting herself cry tears of absolute relief.
The nightmare was actually over; they were safe and going straight to the FBI.
David smiled warmly at her, his eyes crinkling in the corners just the way she loved.
"You did a really good job acting back there, kid," he said in a strangely flat voice.
He pulled a secure satellite phone from his tactical vest and dialed a number.
"The extraction worked perfectly," he said into the phone, his voice suddenly losing all of its usual warmth.
"Victoria and the old man think we escaped, and the police think I kidnapped her."
He looked at Lily, his smile turning into a chilling, hollow grimace.
"The girl is mine now, and the primary trust is fully unlocked," he said to the person on the phone.
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He reached up to the edge of his jawline and slowly began to peel away the highly realistic silicone mask covering his face.
"Wire the money," the imposter commanded, leaving the real David to die in the desert.
