Chapter 6 - The Ascent into DarknessUp in the suffocating darkness of the estate’s rafters, the air was thick with decades of soot and dust. Claire pulled herself through the small hatch, dragging her bruised body onto the wooden beams. Below her, the muffled sound of splintering wood echoed through the ceiling. They had broken through the panic room door.
"She went up!" Vance’s voice bellowed from below, distorted by the cavernous acoustics of the attic space.
Claire crawled on her hands and knees, navigating a maze of forgotten furniture, covered paintings, and crates. Her hospital gown snagged on a rusted nail, tearing the fabric, but she didn't stop. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest, but survival was her only option.
She reached a circular stained-glass window overlooking the estate’s front lawns. Through the colorful shards of glass, she could see the flashing lights of police cruisers still parked below.
If I can break the glass and scream, they’ll hear me, she thought.
She grabbed a heavy iron candelabra resting against a crate and turned toward the window—only for a heavy hand to clamp over her mouth from behind.
"Ah-ah. Not so fast, little bird," a cold voice whispered directly into her ear.
It was Ethan.
He pinned her against his chest, his grip like steel. Claire thrashed wildly, kicking backward and sinking her teeth into the meat of his hand. Ethan cursed, releasing her for a split second.
Claire spun around, swinging the iron candelabra with all her remaining strength. It connected with his shoulder with a sickening thud, sending Ethan stumbling backward against a stack of wooden crates.
"You're a monster!" Claire gasped, tears streaming down her face as she backed toward the window.
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Ethan clutched his injured shoulder, a dark, dangerous look flashing in his eyes. He didn't look angry; he looked amused.
"Maybe I am," Ethan whispered, taking a step toward her. "But you're the one standing on the edge of a three-story drop, Claire. There’s nowhere left to run."
