Chapter 4 - The Safe House
The sedan tore through the outer rings of the city, tires hissing on rain-slicked tarmac. Julian sat in the front passenger seat, pressing a clean cloth against his bleeding temple, while Elena sat in the back with Leo safely strapped into an infant safety seat.
The baby had finally drifted off to sleep, his tiny fists curled beside his cheeks.
""You faked the police dispatch,"" Elena whispered, her voice trembling in the dark interior of the car.
""An old contact in municipal security,"" Julian replied, watching the rearview mirror intently. ""It bought us a head start, nothing more. Marcus owns half the magistrates in the state. By dawn, there will be an amber alert with your name and face attached to it.""
""My face?"" Elena leaned forward, cold panic seizing her. ""Why me?""
""Because Marcus reported Leo kidnapped from the family manor this afternoon. He framed you as the disgruntled domestic employee who took him. The media will eat it alive.""
Elena stared at Julian, anger suddenly overtaking her fear. ""And what were you doing while Marcus was spinning this web? Why didn't you look for me sooner? You let me believe my baby was dead, Julian! For seven months, I went to a cemetery that had no body!""
Julian closed his eyes, his knuckles whitening on his knees. ""I was in a coma for the first four months, Elena.""
The silence in the car became deafening.
""The car accident the night of your labor wasn't mechanical failure,"" Julian whispered, turning his head slightly toward her. A jagged scar ran along his hairline, previously hidden beneath his thick hair. ""Marcus cut the brake lines on my town car. By the time I woke up, the paperwork was sealed, you were gone, and Leo was tucked away in a private estate under twenty-four-hour armed guard.""
The car slowed, turning down a steep gravel path shrouded by overgrown pine trees. It came to a halt in front of an unassuming, dilapidated lakeside cabin.
The driver turned around. ""Sir, we have enough supplies for forty-eight hours. But you need medical attention.""
Julian shook his head, stepping out into the mud. ""Bandages and antiseptic will do. Elena, take Leo inside.""
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Inside, the cabin was cold and smelled of cedar and dust. Elena placed Leo gently on a weathered wool sofa, tucking a flannel blanket around him. When she turned around, Julian had removed his suit jacket. His white shirt was soaked in crimson at the left shoulder, and beneath the tear in the fabric, an old surgical wound looked dangerously inflamed.
He leaned against the wooden counter, his breathing ragged, before his knees gave out and he collapsed onto the floorboards.
