Chapter 17 - The Guardian’s Call
I found a public payphone in the back of the subway station—a relic of the past, just like the people hunting me. I dialed the secure line Arthur and I had established for emergencies.
He answered on the first ring. "Amanda? Where are you? The security grid at the house just detected a probe. They’re trying to bypass our firewall."
"They found me, Arthur," I said, my voice cracking. "The printing house was a setup. They knew I’d come."
"Listen to me," Arthur said, his voice unusually calm, almost clinical. "I’ve moved Ethan to the safe room. The guards are holding the perimeter. We have a tail."
"A tail?"
"Yes. A vehicle has been following our security transport for the last twenty minutes. They think we’re moving the boy. They’re baiting us into a chase."
"Then don't follow the bait," I snapped. "Arthur, listen to me. Use the contingency plan. The 'Iron Gate' protocol."
There was a long silence on the other end. The 'Iron Gate' was a last-resort security measure I had designed when we first moved to the estate—a series of localized lockdowns and automated deterrents that could turn the house into an impenetrable bunker.
"If I trigger that, the house goes into total isolation," Arthur warned. "We lose all communication with the outside world. No rescue, no police, just us and whoever is attacking."
"If you don't do it, they’ll get to Ethan," I said, my voice dropping to a whisper. "Do it, Arthur. I’m coming back, but it will take me an hour to bypass the grid. You need to keep them out until I get there."
May you like
"I’ll see you soon, Amanda," Arthur said.
I hung up, staring at the phone. The subway tunnel was dark and cold. I realized then that I wasn't just fighting for my life; I was fighting to ensure that Ethan would never have to be the child under the bed again.
