Chapter 5 - The Escape
The emergency lights glowed red.
Rachel drove her shoulder into the fallen guard, rolled over him, and used the edge of his belt buckle to cut the restraint around one wrist.
Evan dragged Jessica toward the rear door.
Rachel freed her second hand.
Congressman Voss shouted for security.
Rachel reached the control panel beside the wine racks and pulled the fire alarm.
Sprinklers activated throughout the estate.
Music stopped upstairs.
Guests began evacuating.
Rachel grabbed the encrypted drive from inside a seam beneath her dress.
Evan saw it.
“There.”
Two guards rushed her.
Rachel struck the first in the throat with the heel of her palm, then used his momentum to drive him into the second.
Her injured ribs screamed.
She nearly collapsed.
Jessica remained near the door.
“Rachel!”
“Run upstairs.”
Jessica hesitated.
Evan seized her wrist again.
Rachel lunged.
Evan shoved Jessica into her.
Both sisters struck the concrete wall.
Rachel shielded Jessica’s head, taking the impact across her shoulder.
Congressman Voss escaped through a private tunnel.
Evan followed.
Before leaving, he locked the steel security door.
Water continued pouring from the sprinklers.
Smoke began entering through a ventilation grate.
Rachel found a maintenance hammer and broke the control box beside the door.
The lock released.
She and Jessica reached the ballroom while guests flooded toward the exits.
Richard saw Rachel supporting Jessica.
He misread everything.
“What did you do to her?”
Jessica opened her mouth.
Evan appeared behind them.
“She attacked us.”
Richard shoved Rachel away from Jessica.
Rachel fell against a table.
The Voss security team surrounded her.
Guests lifted phones.
Evan controlled the story before Rachel could speak.
“My wife’s sister tried to destroy our wedding.”
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Jessica remained silent.
That silence hurt Rachel more than her ribs.
