Chapter 8 - Escape on the Water
The heavy machine gun turrets locked onto their position.
"Get down!" Victor screamed over the roaring engines.
He threw the speedboat's throttle all the way forward.
The boat violently launched out of the boathouse.
A hail of bullets tore through the water just inches behind them.
Sparks flew as armor-piercing rounds glanced off the back of the boat.
Anna pulled Lily and Ethan beneath the reinforced seats.
She covered their small ears to block out the deafening gunfire.
Victor maneuvered the boat wildly in zigzag patterns.
He was trying to break the automated tracking system.
A bullet shattered the side mirror right next to his head.
He did not flinch.
He kept his eyes focused entirely on the dark horizon.
The thick fog rolling off the lake provided crucial cover.
Within minutes, the bright spotlights from the estate faded into the mist.
The automated gunfire finally stopped.
They were flying across the open water in total darkness.
Victor kept the throttle fully engaged for another ten minutes.
He finally slowed the boat down as they approached the opposite shore.
The city lights glowed warmly in the far distance.
They had successfully crossed the private lake.
Victor steered the boat into a hidden and overgrown cove.
He cut the engines completely.
The sudden silence was almost overwhelming.
Only the sound of heavy breathing filled the damp air.
Anna slowly sat up and checked the children.
Lily was shivering, but she was completely unharmed.
Ethan was staring blankly at the floor of the boat in shock.
"We are out of his territory now," Victor whispered.
He slumped back in his leather chair in sheer exhaustion.
He reached into a hidden compartment under the dashboard.
He pulled out a heavy medical kit and a satellite phone.
"I have a safe house in the city," Victor said firmly.
"We will hide there until my private army hunts Julian down."
Anna nodded slowly as she took the medical kit from him.
She began bandaging a deep cut on Victor's arm.
They had actually survived the impossible night.
They had beaten a fully armed mercenary squad.
Victor looked deeply into Anna's eyes.
"You saved my life, and my son's life," he said with genuine gratitude.
"I will make sure your family's name is cleared forever."
Anna felt a massive wave of relief wash over her.
The nightmare was finally coming to an end.
She looked down at her beautiful daughter.
Lily was fast asleep in her mother’s arms.
Everything was going to be alright.
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Then, Anna noticed something strange lying on the floor of the boat.
It was a small and glowing tracking device.
