Because these babies deserve more than fear and surrender. They deserve safety, love, and a future.
A whisper of voices drifts from beyond the door again, but this time, instead of dread, I feel resolve. I twist against the ties, wrists burning, jaw clenched.
I’m done being afraid.
Heart racing, I take a more thorough inventory of the room—every corner, every shadow, every edge.
Two windows, both closed and covered with dusty blinds. One flickering fluorescent overhead. A filing cabinet with drawers hanging ajar, paper scattered across a stained beige carpet. There’s an air vent, small and square, the kind spies slip through effortlessly in movies.
Unfortunately, I’m not feeling very cinematic right now. Realistically, there’s no way I’d squeeze through that space, even if I could somehow pry it open without tools.
My wrists are zip-tied behind my back, painfully tight. I flex my fingers, trying to get some circulation going, the thin plastic biting sharply into my skin.
I hear a cough outside the door, giving me the assumption that at least one guard is stationed right outside. I can’t count on slipping out quietly, even if I get free.
I pull gently against the zip tie, testing its strength. It’s brutally secure. But I realize that though the tie itself might be indestructible, the chair it’s bound to is another story. I twist carefully, exploring the wooden slat behind me. It shifts a little. Encouraged, I lean forward and jerk my shoulders, gritting my teeth as the wood digs into my spine.
Another sharp tug, harder this time, and I feel the slat give just enough for me to slip the ties under. The chair creaks beneath me, loud enough to make me freeze for a few minutes, but no one rushes in. I slide my hands free, wrists still bound but no longer tethered to the chair.
I crouch, sliding my arms down so I can step over them and get them in front of me. It’s no small feat, but I manage to do it.
Carefully, quietly, I rush to the nearest window and yank the blinds open. The sudden glare makes me squint. My breath catches at the view. An abandoned office park sprawls beneath me—empty parking lots cracked with weeds, a sea of dead grass broken up by skeletal trees. Beyond it, in the distance, the Chicago skyline rises, shimmering faintly against the hazy sky.
I scan quickly, looking for any distinctive landmarks—billboards, water towers, road signs—but there’s nothing. Just abandoned industrial parks and empty roads stretching in every direction.
I can see a faded street sign at a corner in the distance, letters mostly unreadable. My eyes strain desperately. Something that ends in ridge. Oakridge? Pineridge? It’s not enough. My heart sinks.
A sudden noise from beyond the door makes me jump. Raised voices, heated and urgent. I run softly over and press my ear against it, straining to make out the words.
Spalding’s voice is clear, furious. “…goddamn BOLO out on me! Do you realize what that means?”
Tatiana’s voice is strained and defensive. “I told you we were in a security blind spot and?—”
“Apparently fucking not!” Spalding snaps, venom in every syllable. “Someone saw us. Someone knows exactly what we did. Your precious security gap was worthless.”
Tatiana’s voice rises, icy and desperate now. “Impossible. I know their security inside and out.”
“You think I’m making this up? They’re looking for meright now!I’ve risked everything?—”
Their argument dissolves into muffled yelling, indistinct but furious. My pulse pounds harder. They know someone spotted them, probably Elena with her cameras. They’re coming for me. I have to believe that.
The yelling suddenly stops. Footsteps thunder down the hall, heavy and purposeful, heading straight for my door.
Panic floods me. I sprint back to the chair, dropping into it just as the door bursts open violently. I stay quiet, hoping they won’t realize my hands are now in front of me.
Spalding stands in the doorway, face twisted in barely controlled rage. Sweat beads at his temples, his jaw clenched hard enough to crack teeth.
“Astrid,” he growls, “it seems your little boyfriend has been busy.”
I swallow hard, forcing calm into my voice. “What’s happening?”
He stalks toward me, eyes dark with fury. “They’re coming after me. The FBI has a goddamn BOLO out on me.”
I feign confusion. “I don’t understand?—”
“Don’t play stupid!” Spalding snarls, slamming a palm against the wall, making me flinch.
He glares at me, breathing hard, visibly calculating his next move. All I can think about is Yuri coming to save me. He knows. He’ll find me.
