Chapter 8
640 Words
Lisa let out a short, bitter laugh. “And I thought I hated you for betraying me .”
Drew stepped back, processing. “The documents in the drawer. They prove it, don’t they?”
Mrs. Wilson didn’t deny it. “They prove a lot of things. Things that could get all of us killed if they get out.”
Footsteps echoed from the hallway. Heavy, deliberate.
Mrs. Wilson's face went pale. “They’re here.”
The door burst open. Two men in black suits filled the doorway.
One of them smiled at Lisa. “Miss Carter. It’s time to come with us.”
The two men in black filled the doorway like a wall.
“Miss Carter,” the taller one said again, stepping forward. “Don’t make this difficult.”
Lisa backed up a step, clutching the birth certificate and flash drive to her chest. Her eyes darted to the window behind the desk.
Mrs. Wilson moved fast. She stepped between Lisa and the men, voice cold. “You touch her in my house, and you’ll answer to me.”
The second man sneered. “Your protection expired the moment Richard died, Mrs. Wilson.”
William's head snapped between them. “Stop. Everyone stop.” He put himself between Lisa and the men, hands raised. “If you want her, you go through me first.”
For a second, Lisa saw something in his eyes she hadn’t seen before. Not jealousy. Not suspicion. Fear. For her.
Drew wasn’t waiting. He grabbed Lisa's wrist. “Window. Now.”
“You’ll break your legs,” she hissed.
“Better than them breaking you,” he muttered, yanking the sash up.
Mrs. Wilson turned on the men. “I’ll give you five seconds to leave before I call my security.”
“You don’t have security,” the tall man said. He lunged.
Chaos.
Drew pulled Lisa onto the ledge. The drop was two stories down into the rose garden. Below, a row of trimmed hedges and a stone path.
“Jump,” he said, voice flat.
Lisa stared at him. “Are you insane?”
“Trust me.”
Behind them, William shouted, “Lisa, don’t!”
She looked at him once. Then she jumped.
Drew followed, rolling as he hit the hedge. Thorns tore at his jacket. Lisa landed harder, wind knocked out of her, but she was moving a second later.
“Run,” Drew said, grabbing her hand.
Above them, Mrs. Wilson’s voice cut through the night. “Secure the grounds! Now!”
The men were at the window, cursing.
They sprinted through the garden, past the fountains, toward the low stone wall at the edge of the estate. Drew vaulted it first,
Do you want me to continue the passage or is there something specific you need from this text?
reached down, and hauled Lisa over.
On the other side was a narrow service road. A black SUV idled there, engine running.
Drew’s contact slid out. “You’re late.”
“Change of plans,” Drew said, pushing Lisa into the back seat. “Drive.”
As the car peeled away, Lisa looked back. The estate was lit up like a stage. William stood on the balcony, staring after her.
She didn’t wave.
In her lap, the flash drive felt heavier than ever.
Drew glanced at her. “You okay?”
Lisa exhaled, fingers tightening around the envelope. “No. But I’m done running blind.”
She plugged the flash drive into her phone.
Files. Bank records. Names. And a video file labeled: _For Lisa – If they find me._
She hit play.
Richard Wilson’s face filled the screen. He looked older, tired, terrified.
“Lisa,” he said. “If you’re watching this, it means they found me. Or I’m already gone. Listen carefully…”
- Writer
