Chapter 9 - The Safehouse on Route 9
Arthur fired two deafening rounds into the concrete at the mercenaries' feet, the ricochets echoing like thunder claps under the low loading dock ceiling. The men scrambled for cover behind the industrial trash compactors as Julian pushed Clara into the back of the van and dove in after her.
Arthur threw himself into the driver's seat, jammed the transmission into reverse, and slammed his foot down. The van surged backward, tires screeching against the wet pavement, smashing through the lowered plastic security barrier before spinning around into the rainy night street.
Bullets pinged against the reinforced rear doors, leaving dull indentations in the metal, but none penetrated. Clara curled her body over Maya on the floorboards, whispering nonsensical comforts as the newborn screamed from the gunfire.
Julian pulled himself up onto the passenger seat, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. "Where are you taking us?"
"Out of county jurisdiction," Arthur said, his eyes glued to the rearview mirror. "There's a decommissioned medical research outpost near the state line. Off the grid, no smart meters, no Vance surveillance."
"We need a hospital," Julian insisted, pointing back at Clara. "She just gave birth four hours ago! She's bleeding, she's in shock, and the baby needs pediatric care!"
"There's an old colleague of mine waiting at the outpost—Dr. Mercer. A real doctor, not one bought by your mother," Arthur replied coldly. "You go to any public hospital tonight, and the state child welfare system will flag that baby before sunrise. Victoria has already filed an emergency custody petition alleging maternal abandonment and mental instability."
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Clara looked up from the shadows of the floorboards, her face ghostly pale in the passing streetlights. "How could she file that already?"
"Because she prepared the paperwork three months ago, Clara," Arthur said, turning the van onto a narrow, unlit secondary highway. "The moment she found out you were asking questions, you were never going to leave that hospital with that child."
