Chapter 6 - The Rain and the RoadThe cold rain struck Fiona like a physical blow, instantly soaking her clothes and plastering her hair to her face. The storm was at its peak, the sky lighting up in violent, electric violet.
They were in the rear courtyard, surrounded by a twelve-foot stone wall topped with security wire. The main gate was closed, and she knew the guards at the front booth would never let her out without Victoria’s clearance.
"The gate, Fiona! Look!" Arthur pointed toward the automated service gate used for trash collection.
It was open. A large garbage truck was backed up to the automated compactor, its amber lights flashing lazily in the rain. The driver was inside the guard shack, staying dry.
"Come on!"
Fiona and Arthur ran toward the truck. She practically threw the boy into the narrow gap between the truck's cab and the massive steel waste container, crawling in right after him just as Marco and two other armed guards burst into the courtyard.
"Search the perimeter!" Marco shouted, his flashlight beam sweeping over the rain-slicked concrete. "They couldn't have climbed the wall!"
Fiona held Arthur close, her body acting as a shield against the freezing rain. They lay wedged in the dirty, metallic gap of the truck, smelling of diesel exhaust and wet cardboard.
A flashlight beam swept directly over the gap, illuminating the rusted metal inches from Fiona’s face. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the shout of discovery.
"Hey! You!" Marco's voice boomed, addressing the garbage truck driver who had just stepped out of the shack. "Did you see a woman and a kid run past here?"
"No, man," the driver grumbled, pulling his hood tighter. "I've been in the booth the last ten minutes. I’m just wrapping up."
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"Get out of here. We’re locked down," Marco ordered.
The driver climbed into the cab. The massive diesel engine roared to life, vibrating violently. The truck began to roll forward, carrying Fiona and Arthur out of the iron gates of the Highland Park fortress and into the dark, wet streets of Chicago.
