CHAPTER 7 – THE ESCAPE THAT WAS NEVER PLANNED
The prison erupted into chaos at exactly 2:13 a.m.
The lights flickered once.
Twice.
Then everything went black.
Sirens screamed through Graystone Prison.
Emergency generators failed.
Electronic cell doors unlocked one after another.
Inmates poured into the hallways.
Some were laughing.
Some were fighting.
Some were simply running.
Emily knew instantly...
This wasn't an accident.
Someone had planned it.
Footsteps thundered toward her cell.
When the emergency lights finally flickered on, Dr. Ava Sinclair stood outside the open door.
"We have less than four minutes."
Emily stared at her.
"You opened my cell?"
Ava shook her head.
"I didn't."
"Then who did?"
Before Ava could answer, a deep voice echoed from the smoke-filled corridor.
"I did."
A tall man in a black tactical uniform stepped into the dim light.
He wasn't a guard.
He wasn't a prisoner.
He carried no prison insignia.
Only a silver raven embroidered on his sleeve.
Emily's blood ran cold.
"Project Raven..."
The man removed the patch and dropped it onto the floor.
"They're hunting you."
Emily backed away.
"Who are you?"
"My name doesn't matter."
"I was part of Raven."
"And I'm here because I helped destroy your life."
Emily's fists clenched.
"You framed me."
"I helped create the evidence."
Silence filled the corridor.
The man lowered his eyes.
"I've spent ten years trying to fix what we did."
Before Emily could respond—
Gunfire exploded outside.
Real bullets.
Not warning shots.
The mysterious man shoved Emily behind a concrete pillar.
"They're here already."
"Who?"
"The people who ordered your husband killed."
"They're cleaning up every loose end."
Another explosion rocked the prison walls.
Smoke poured through the ventilation system.
Over the prison loudspeaker, the Warden's voice echoed.
"Terminate Subject Carter."
Emily froze.
Subject Carter.
Not inmate.
Not prisoner.
Target.
The tactical man grabbed Emily's arm.
"You have two choices."
"Die inside this prison..."
"Or finally learn why your husband was murdered."
Emily looked back one last time.
Graystone Prison was burning.
Without another word...
She ran.
Outside the prison walls, black SUVs surrounded the compound.
Masked gunmen fired toward the escaping prisoners.
They weren't trying to stop an escape.
They were trying to kill one woman.
Emily.
As bullets tore through the darkness, the mysterious man pushed her into an abandoned drainage tunnel.
Ava followed close behind.
Behind them...
Graystone Prison disappeared in flames.
The world would believe Emily Carter had escaped.
But the truth was far more terrifying.
Someone wanted the only innocent witness...
May you like
Erased forever.
END OF CHAPTER 7
