Chapter 8 - The Storm Hits
70%... 80%...
The computer screen above her glowed ominously in the dark room. Arthur sat down. He looked at the screen.
Maya held her breath, her lungs screaming for air. She gripped a heavy brass letter opener she had found on the floor.
"Arthur, are you coming?" Eleanor called from the hallway.
"My screen is... downloading something," Arthur muttered, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low octave. He reached down toward the tower to see the USB drive.
Suddenly, lightning cracked outside, followed by a massive clap of thunder. A brutal Pacific storm had finally broken over the coast. The lights in the chateau flickered, then died completely. The backup generators hummed, but the brief blackout gave Maya a split second.
She grabbed the USB drive, ripped it from the port, and rolled out from under the desk, sweeping Arthur's legs out from under him. He crashed to the floor with a shout of surprise.
Maya scrambled to her feet and sprinted out of the study, plunging into the dark hallway.
"Security!" Arthur roared, scrambling up. "Lock down the house! She has the drive!"
Maya ran like she had never run before. She tore down the East Wing stairs, bypassing the gala guests who were murmuring in confusion in the dim emergency lighting. She sprinted toward the West Wing. She had to get Clara.
She punched the keypad. The heavy steel door opened. Clara was standing there, holding a heavy bronze bookend, terrified.
"We have to go. Now!" Maya yelled, grabbing Clara’s hand.
They ran down the restricted employee corridors, heading for the service exit Liam had promised to leave open. Behind them, they could hear the heavy boots of Vanguard’s private security team echoing on the marble.
"Check the perimeter! Don't let them reach the gates!" Arthur's voice echoed through the comms of the guards.
They burst through the service doors out into the howling storm. The rain was sideways, stinging their faces like glass. They ran blindly toward the hedges, slipping in the mud.
May you like
Headlights cut through the rain. Liam’s beat-up pickup truck slid to a halt on the wet grass.
"Get in!" Liam screamed over the thunder.
