Chapter 8: The Perimeter Wall
The guard hit the gravel path with a heavy, breathless thud, his weapon clattering harmlessly into the boxwood hedges. He groaned, struggling to push himself up, but I didn't wait for him to recover. I grabbed the young girl's hand, pulling her through the open doorway and onto the sunlit gravel path before sprinting hard toward the dense tree line at the edge of the property.
"Hey! Stop right there!" a voice shouted from behind us, echoing off the stone walls of the luxury villa.
More footsteps crunched on the gravel—fast, uncoordinated, and multiplying by the second. They had realized the back exit was compromised. I didn't look back. My lungs burned with every breath, the residual effects of whatever poison or experimental compound had put me on that marble floor earlier threatening to buckle my knees. But adrenaline kept me moving, driving my legs forward through the uneven dirt and tall grass.
The young girl kept pace remarkably well, her pink patterned dress fluttering around her legs as she bounded over exposed roots, her white bunny backpack bouncing rhythmically against her shoulders. She didn't cry out or complain, her focus entirely locked on the tall stone perimeter wall looming ahead of us through the trees.
We broke through the dense brush, skidding to a halt directly beneath the eight-foot stone barrier that marked the edge of the villa's private grounds. Beyond the wall lay a steep embankment and, stretching into the distance, a long, asphalt American highway shimmering under the midday sun.
"Up," I panted, turning to the girl and dropping to one knee. "Put your hands on my shoulders. I'm going to boost you over."
She didn't hesitate. She scrambled up, her small shoes finding purchase on my thigh before I hoisted her upward with every ounce of strength I had left. Her small hands caught the top ledge of the stone wall, and with a determined grunt, she hauled herself up, swinging her legs over the side. A second later, she was sitting astride the top of the wall, looking down at me with calm urgency, clutching her white bunny backpack tightly against her chest.
"I'm going to catch you on the other side," I called out, hearing the sharp crack of snapping branches behind us as the pursuing guards closed the distance through the woods.
I leapt up, grabbing the top ledge of the wall, and hauled myself over just as a shout echoed from the tree line.
May you like
"There! By the wall!"
I dropped down the outer side of the stone barrier, landing hard on the loose dirt embankment and tumbling down into the tall grass by the highway shoulder. I rolled to my feet instantly, catching the girl as she slid down right behind me. Without a second look back at the secure villa grounds, I grabbed her small hand and bolted toward the open road, stepping out onto the asphalt just as a heavy diesel truck rumbled past, kicking up a cloud of dust and masking our escape.
