Chapter 6 - THE ESCAPE INTO THE GARDEN

The night air outside the Moretti mansion was biting cold.
Elena’s heels clicked frantically against the cobblestone path as she hurried through the darkened rose garden toward the service gate.
The distant sound of shouting echoed from the direction of the grand ballroom—the raised voices of federal agents, the flash of red and blue police cruisers spilling through the iron gates, and the frantic screams of panicked guests fleeing into the courtyard.
Abel stood by the idling engine of a black Mercedes sedan near the gardener’s shed, holding the rear door open.
"Get in, Miss Carter," Abel said, his weathered face etched with grim determination. "The boss is holding them off in the foyer, but we don't have much time before Bennett's lawyers try to lock down the perimeter."
Elena slid into the backseat, pulling her service coat tightly around her shoulders.
As Abel slammed the door and jumped into the driver's seat, Elena looked back through the rear window.
The grand limestone facade of the Moretti mansion stood tall against the Boston skyline, illuminated by the flashing lights of half a dozen squad cars.
Inside the lighted windows of the second-floor study, a solitary figure stood by the glass, looking down into the courtyard.
Dante.
May you like
The car accelerated smoothly down the gravel drive, turning onto the coastal highway just as the first sirens began wailing in earnest.
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