I hear her footsteps fade down the hallway, then silence.
I stand and move to the tray where I find toast, eggs, fruit, and coffee.
The smell makes my stomach turn.
I'm too anxious to eat, but I lift the coffee cup and take a sip because waking up without caffeine means a headache later today.
A small plastic card sits under the edge of the plate right next to where the coffee was, almost imperceptible against the white paper liner on the tray.
I set the cup down and pick up the card to see that it's a keycard.
The kind used to unlock doors in hotels or technical locks.
My heart starts to race. Marta left this here.
She must've.
Whether it was intentional or an accident, I don’t know and I don’t care.
This is my chance.
It's like the gods are smiling on me, and I'm not looking the gift horse in the mouth.
I move quickly. I pull on my shoes and check that Sofia's still asleep.
She's buried under the blankets with only the top of her head visible.
I lean down and kiss her forehead, then scoop her into my arms.
She murmurs something but doesn’t wake.
She's so light, her body so limp and heavy with sleep, and all I can think about is getting out the door and somewhere public before someone finds out.
I carry her to the door and press my ear against the wood, not hearing any sounds from the hallway.
So I ease the door open an inch and peer out.
The hallway’s empty, no guards standing outside the door like I thought there would be.
Maybe it's time for them to change rounds or maybe they haven't come for the day yet.
It is still pretty early.
I step into the hallway and move as quickly as I can while carrying Sofia.
She's getting heavier by the second, but I don’t stop.
I head toward the staircase that leads down to the main floor.
My feet barely make a sound on the floor.
I hold Sofia tighter and pray she doesn’t wake up and start crying.
At the bottom of the stairs, I pause and listen.
Male voices come from the kitchen, guards discussing something I can't make out, but I move in the opposite direction for added safety, toward the back of the villa where I remember seeing the garden through the windows yesterday.
The hallway's lined with statues and potted plants.
