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They turn when they hear us, their hands going to their weapons.
“Dr. Alder?” The one man’s brows crease. “We weren’t expecting you.”
“I need to get our two prisoners to safety,” she lies to them. “Is the Land Cruiser ready to go?”
“Yes, mam!” The second man nods. “We can take you…’
“No!” Doctor Bimbo says too quickly, and the one man must’ve finally noticed the weapon peaking over my shoulder.
He goes for his gun, and before I can get in my head about it, I shoot him and the other man.
“Holy fuck!” Stacy breathes. “Jesus Bella.” She looks at me with fear shining in her eyes. “You just shot three people.”
“They were in our way. They also have bulletproof vests on, so they’ll be up in no time, so we have to move,” I reason, trying hard not to think about it and let the panic in. “Now get in the Land Cruiser.”
“You’ll have to go through the opening that leads to the forest,” Doctor Bimbo tells us. “Head east to the quarry. You’ll find tunnels. They’ll exit at the end of Grafton and then head north to Derby Line. It’s just a hop to Canada from there.”
“I wouldn’t do anything you told me!” I give her a scathing look. “You’re just leading us back into a trap.”
“Suit yourself.” Doctor Bimbo shrugs. “If I could escape, that’s the way I’d go.” She looks at me. “Now knock me out. I’m sure you’d love to.”
“I would!” Stacy growls, and before I can stop her, she punches Doctor Bimbo in the face, sending her reeling. “Ow!” She howls in pain. “Fuck!”
“You shouldn’t punch someone in the jaw.” I climb into the big vehicle, and I’m surprised to find the keycard on the dash. I start the car. The powerful engine roars to life. “Let’s go.”
Stacy hops into the passenger seat and buckles up, and I pull off, smashing through the garage door and leaving the lights off as I head toward what I’m hoping is the front gate. Not a fuck am I going to follow Doctor Bimbo’s advice.
The roar of the Land Cruiser’s engine echoes off the walls of the compound as I slam my foot down on the gas pedal. Stacy grips the edge of her seat, her knuckles white. The armored vehicle charges forward like a beast unleashed, and I barely register the men scattering in our path.
The compound’s layout is etched in my memory, and I aim for the front gate, hoping it’s not heavily guarded. Men in dark uniforms dart out of the way, some diving behind crates and others running for cover, shouting in confusion. They didn’t expect anyone to escape, especially not in such a dramatic fashion.
“Hold on!” I yell to Stacy as we near the gate. I can see it now, a towering barrier that stands between us and freedom. The guards stationed there are caught off guard, their weapons aimed but not yet firing. They hesitate, probably thinking we’re some of their own making a desperate run.
The men at the gate scramble, one of them reaching for the control panel. I don’t give him a chance. I steer the Land Cruiser straight at the gate, bracing for impact. The vehicle slams into the barrier with a deafening crash, and I hear metal groaning as the gate gives way under our weight.
We burst through to the other side, leaving chaos in our wake. The men who were supposed to keep us captive are left behind, stunned, and disorganized. For a moment, it feels surreal. We’re out, but we’re not safe yet.
Stacy turns to look back, her eyes wide. “Holy shit, Bella, we did it.”
I don’t allow myself to celebrate just yet. “We’re not out of the woods,” I say, steering the vehicle onto the forest path Doctor Bimbo mentioned, even though I plan to deviate from her advice soon. “We need to keep moving. They’ll be after us soon.”
As the forest swallows us, I feel a grim satisfaction. Whoever captured us—and I’m starting to doubt it was my father—won’t have an easy time catching up. We have a head start, and with any luck, we’ll make it to Boston before they figure out where we’ve gone.
But the questions linger in the back of my mind. If it wasn’t my father, then who? And why? The answers will have to wait. Right now, survival is all that matters.
“Why do you think your father kidnapped us?” Stacy asks.
“I don’t think it was my father.” I frown. “For some reason, I think he, Doctor Bimbo, Stan, and even Igor were trying to help us.”
Chapter 5
ANDREY
Ren has offered to take the teenage hackers and Tessa to a safe house. He’s going to pick up his wife and daughters, then disappear until he hears from me.
My phone rings as I rush toward Belov Towers. It’s my mother. My heart jolts.
“Hey, Mom,” I answer. “Is everything okay?”
