Chapter 4 - Nowhere to Run
Sarah dropped the phone onto the bed as if it were burning her skin.
David had been watching her at the clinic the entire time.
He was not in Europe on a business trip at all.
He was actively hunting them through the dark streets of the city.
Sarah realized her car must have a hidden tracking device attached to it.
She grabbed the children and told them they had to leave the motel immediately.
They slipped out the back window of the bathroom, avoiding the brightly lit parking lot entirely.
Sarah abandoned her vehicle and led the kids on foot through the damp, overgrown woods behind the motel.
The night air was freezing, and Thomas was shivering violently in his thin clothes.
Sarah took off her coat and wrapped it tightly around both children as they walked.
They finally reached an all-night diner situated near a deserted highway intersection.
Sarah ushered them into a corner booth and ordered hot chocolate to warm them up.
She desperately needed to figure out how to retrieve the evidence from the bank vault at dawn.
Thomas looked up from his mug, his blue eyes filled with an ancient, exhausting sadness.
He asked Sarah if the bad man was coming to take him back to the dark basement.
Sarah held his dirty hand and swore on her life that nobody would ever hurt him again.
Emily asked why their father would do something so incredibly evil.
Sarah did not have a good answer, completely heartbroken that her daughter had to learn the truth.
She noticed a local police cruiser pulling into the diner's parking lot.
A sudden wave of relief washed over her, thinking she could finally ask for official help.
She stood up and walked toward the entrance to greet the two uniformed officers.
Before she could speak, she noticed the custom gold watch on the taller officer's wrist.
It was the exact same limited-edition watch she had bought for David on his birthday last year.
The officers were not there to help anyone.
They were corrupt cops on David's massive payroll, sent to capture the runaway family.
Sarah slowly backed away, signaling for the children to slide out of the booth.
The taller officer made direct eye contact with her and reached for his radio.
He shouted for her to freeze, drawing his heavy weapon in the middle of the crowded diner.
Sarah grabbed a pot of boiling coffee from a nearby server's tray.
She hurled the scalding liquid directly into the corrupt officer's face.
The man screamed in agony, dropping his gun to clutch his burning eyes.
Sarah grabbed her children's hands and sprinted through the diner's kitchen toward the back exit.
They burst through the heavy metal doors into the cold, unforgiving night.
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They were completely surrounded by three black sport utility vehicles with their high beams shining.
David stepped out of the lead vehicle, holding a suppressed pistol with a twisted smile on his face.
