The click of the front door closing was not just a sound; it was the starting gun for my race against the clock. Nine, maybe ten hours of relative freedom before Luther returned. The immediate objective was clear: assess the perimeter, locate the enemy’s eyes and ears, and find a secure way to store my secret, the baby and the pills.
I sprang from the bed, the inertia of compliance instantly shed. The beautiful, silent room was no longer a cage; it was a complex enemy installation that needed mapping.
First, the inevitable. Luther had mentioned a security sweep, but I knew his meticulous nature. The room would be crawling with surveillance.
I started a systematic, silent inventory. I didn't have Levi's sophisticated equipment, but I had instinct and memory. I remembered Luther’s pre
