Chapter 7 - Empty Crib
Elena sprinted across the flooded lawn, ignoring the sharp, tearing agony in her injured leg. Marcus ran half a pace ahead of her, his hand already on his concealed holster as they burst through the estate’s side French doors.
Mud and rainwater trailed across the pristine marble foyer as they took the grand staircase three steps at a time. The third-floor hallway was silent, except for the high-pitched drone of the tripped window sensor.
Elena slammed the nursery door open.
The heavy linen curtains were whipping wildly in the stormy draft coming from the shattered terrace window. Rain was pooling on the hardwood floor.
The white wooden crib was empty.
Elena dropped to her knees beside the crib, burying her face in the small, warm blanket Leo had left behind. "No, no, no... please, God, no!"
Marcus moved like a predator, scanning the room in two seconds flat. He knelt near the shattered glass by the French doors and picked up a damp, silver embroidered silk scarf caught on the jagged pane.
"Victoria," Marcus growled, crushing the fabric in his fist until his knuckles turned pure white. "She didn't leave the grounds. She used Julian’s distraction to circle back."
Elena shot to her feet, wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve, the helplessness evaporating into pure, unadulterated fury. "Where would she take him? She doesn't have her car keys, her accounts are frozen, and the front gates are locked!"
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Marcus pulled out his master phone, tapping rapidly into the estate’s perimeter grid. "The old boathouse on the lake. She kept a duplicate key to my father’s vintage speedboat. If she gets onto the open water, she can reach the county marina in ten minutes where her father's jet is waiting."
Elena didn't wait for him to finish. She grabbed a heavy tactical flashlight from the nursery console table and tore down the back service stairs toward the estate's private dock.
