Chapter 8 - The Back Alley Extraction
Old man Miller shuffled out from the back pantry, wiping flour from his hands, his face pale as he stared at the broken window.
"Clara, sweet Jesus, what happened?" Miller asked, his eyes darting from the shattered glass to Adrian, who was already bundling the children's winter coats and stuffing them into a canvas duffel bag.
"Miller, I have to go," I said, tears finally spilling over my lashes as I grabbed my coat and wrapped a thick wool scarf around Leo’s neck. "You gave me a home when I had nothing. I'll never forget this. But staying here now will put you and your bakery in terrible danger."
"Nonsense," Miller grumbled, stepping forward and placing a heavy, flour-dusted hand on my shoulder. "You think I care about a pane of glass when those babies' lives are on the line? You take that foolish husband of yours—yes, I heard what he said, and yes, he looks like a repentant sinner—and you get those kids somewhere safe."
Before I could answer, a low, rumbling diesel engine echoed from the narrow alleyway behind the bakery.
Adrian cracked open the back service door. A sleek, matte-black armored SUV idled quietly against the loading dock, its heavy doors popping open in unison. Two men in tactical gear stepped out, scanning the perimeter with absolute, cold efficiency.
"Transport is secured," one of them barked into a comms mic. "No civilian presence in the alley. Move fast."
Adrian turned to me, holding out his hand. "Clara. We don't have another option. My car out front is compromised; this vehicle is hardened against tracking, signal jamming, and small arms fire. It’s the only way we reach Lake Geneva before sunset."
I looked down at Maya and Leo. Maya was still sniffling, clutching her favorite stuffed rabbit, while Leo stared at the tactical operatives with that eerie, unblinking Vale gaze. There was no time left for pride, for old grudges, or for running away on my own.
I placed my hand in Adrian’s. His grip was instant, warm, and unbreakable.
"If you let anything happen to them," I whispered fiercely, staring straight into his amber eyes, "I will make sure you regret ever finding me."
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"I'd die first," he answered simply.
We rushed down the metal stairs into the cool evening air, piling into the back of the armored SUV just as the vehicle surged forward into the labyrinth of Chicago backstreets.
