Chapter 34 In trouble

Chapter 34 In trouble

I woke to the quiet of the mansion. The sun had barely touched the windows, and the halls were empty. Charles wasn’t in the room. For the first time since I arrived, I had a moment to breathe without his eyes on me.

I stood and walked to the window, looking out at the city below. Chicago felt big, loud, and dangerous. I didn’t care about the streets or the skyline. My only thought was my parents. How could I get them out? How could I make this end?

I needed a plan, something Charles wouldn't know.

I pulled on my shoes and quietly left the room, moving through the hall. Every step I took, I listened. No guards in sight, no Charles in the corridors. Perfect. I had a small window to move without being seen.

The mansion was bigger than I thought. Marble floors, huge hallways, and doors everywhere. I opened a few, careful to close them behind me, but most were empty or locked. I kept walking until I reached Charles’s office.

The door was slightly ajar. I paused, my heart beating faster. Inside the office, papers were spread across a large desk. Charles wasn’t there. I moved closer, scanning the documents. Anything that might give me a hint about my parents.

There were ledgers, maps, some letters with names and addresses. I carefully pulled out one folder. It had a list of locations labeled by code names. One caught my eye.“Old Captive House.” That sounded familiar. The address was there, a small warehouse in the outskirts.

If I could get there, maybe I could find them. Maybe I could get proof of where Charles was keeping them.

I closed the folder and tucked it into my bag. I had to be careful. One wrong move, and Charles would know.

I walked back quietly, retracing my steps. My stomach was tight, my hands shaking slightly. I couldn’t let fear stop me. I had to move fast.

I found a small table in a side hallway and sat down. I pulled the folder back out and studied it. I didn’t know if it was the only location, but it was a start. I needed more information, more details, and most of all, a way to get there without him noticing.

I waited for noises in the house, any sign Charles might be coming. When I was sure the halls were empty, I pulled out my phone and started making notes. I wrote down addresses, names, times I saw guards move, and the shift changes I remembered. I was building a map in my head.

Then I remembered the guard at the gate yesterday. He moved like someone who didn’t notice much. I could probably use that to my advantage. Maybe I could sneak out during a shift change. I had to be quiet, fast, and precise. One mistake and everything would collapse.

I stayed in the hall for hours, watching the house, memorizing where doors led and where cameras might be. I wasn’t going to just rush in blind. I had to be smarter than that.

Finally, I heard footsteps. I ducked behind a pillar just as Charles entered. He didn’t see me. He moved across the hall, speaking quietly into his phone. I could catch only bits. “Chicago... no mistakes... keep eyes on her.”

I pressed myself against the wall. His voice sent a chill down my spine, but it also made my plan sharper. I had to get to the warehouse before he noticed anything. I had to be faster than him.

After he left, I slipped back to my room. I closed the door, locking it behind me. My heart was pounding. I went to the bed and leaned over the folder, studying every detail again. I had to know if I could get there alone, if I could distract guards, if I could even face him if he found out.

I didn’t allow myself to think about what would happen if I failed. I didn’t allow myself to imagine my parents in danger. Only what I could do. Every second counted.

By mid-afternoon, I had a plan. I would wait for Charles to leave again. I would watch the gates, memorize the shifts, and then move. I would go to the warehouse. I would check if my parents were there. I wouldn’t let him know. I couldn’t. Not yet.

Every detail mattered. Every door, every guard, every step I had taken in the house. I ran it over and over in my head. The plan had to be perfect. One mistake, and Charles would know. One mistake, and it could be the last time I saw my parents.

I practiced moving quietly, imagining the hallways, imagining the guards, imagining the doors. I repeated it in my mind until I could walk the halls without thinking. Until my body knew what to do before my brain even registered it.

Then I waited. I sat in the corner of my room, looking out the small window at the street below. I didn’t know when Charles would leave, but I knew I couldn’t waste this chance. I had to be ready the moment he was gone.

Hours passed. Shadows moved across the floor. I stayed still, silent, my bag with the folder next to me. I wasn’t thinking about fear or danger, only moving fast enough to reach them.

When finally the house quieted again, I allowed myself to stand. I gathered my things. My bag, my folder, a few small essentials. I would need every second. Every move had to count.

I glanced around the room one last time. The mansion felt bigger than ever, but I didn’t care. My parents were more important than any fear, any rule, any Charles.

I took a deep breath, opening the door, and stepped out into the hall. Every sound, every shadow, every corner was now part of my plan.

I would find them, I need to and I would do it before Charles realized.

The warehouse awaited.