Chapter 18 - The Escape
---
Victor escaped three months later.
A riot. A diversion. A stolen guard uniform.
By the time they realized he was gone, he was already in the wind.
Sarah called me at 3 AM.
"Maya. He's out."
I sat up. Heart pounding. "What?"
"Victor escaped. We don't know where he is. But we're looking."
"Leo—"
"He's fine. I have people watching the school. The house. Everywhere."
"He's coming for us."
"We won't let him get close."
"You don't know him. He's smart. He's patient. He'll wait until we're not looking."
"Then we won't stop looking."
I hung up. Ran to Leo's room. He was asleep. Peaceful. Innocent.
I grabbed him. Held him tight.
"Mommy? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, baby. Go back to sleep."
"You're scared."
"I'm fine."
"You're lying."
I didn't answer. I just held him. Held him like I'd never let go.
Because I might never get the chance again.
---
The next morning, I made a decision.
We were leaving. Again.
New town. New name. New everything.
I packed our bags. Called Mrs. Patterson. Told her we were going on vacation.
"Vacation? Now?"
"Emergency. I'll explain later."
I grabbed Leo. Ran to the car.
We drove for hours. No destination. Just away.
We ended up in a small town in Montana. Population 500. Nowhere. Isolated.
Safe.
For now.
---
May you like
If you enjoyed the story, bookmark my site: https://vibe.treeiq.biz New stories are posted daily, so check back for updates.
---
