I concentrated on his breathing, studying it to determine what stage he was in during his REM cycle. I couldn’t make my move unless he was out cold. I was in the middle of nowhere, and I needed as much of a head start as possible.
When his breathing turned deep and constant, I slipped out of bed and put on the running shoes Dunbar had placed in my bag. I was in black leggings and a t-shirt, poor clothes for a quick getaway, but they would have to do.
I crept to the door on the other side of the room and slowly opened it, grateful it didn’t creak due to its old age. I stepped into the hallway and looked left and right, making sure no one was on guard. The deep red rug stretched down the hallway, underneath the crystal chandeliers which hung from the ceiling.
I crept down the hallway and stuck close to the wall, listening for any sound. I reached the end and peered down the stairway, seeing no one at the bottom. I crept down to the bottom floor, and my eyes immediately darted to the two enormous doors that marked the entryway.
Dunbar stood in front of them, dressed in all black. He looked at his phone like he might be playing a game to pass the time.
Damn. I couldn’t go that way.
I went back upstairs and took the hallway on the opposite side of the room, which went down a corridor of bedrooms. One room I passed had a woman moaning loudly while the bed creaked, and I couldn’t help but think of Crewe and what we could be doing right now if I hadn’t left.
Shake it off.
I had to get the hell out of there.
I took different hallways left and right, eventually getting lost in the enormous castle. The amount of power used to keep the lights on must be exorbitant. I moved to the opposite end and peered through the large window that overlooked the castle. From what I could gauge, I was on the opposite side of the property now, above a courtyard with rose bushes inside a garden.
The only staircases led back to the main entryways, and I had to assume they were all blocked. I had years of mountain climbing experience, so I could climb down to the bottom. I was on the third floor, so it was dangerous.
But it was worth the risk.
None of the windows opened, so I walked to a bedroom in the corner. Careful not to make a sound, I crept inside, relieved to see no one was occupying it. And to my luck, it had a balcony. I shut the door and locked it behind me.
The balcony was on top of the third roof. The only way I could get down was if I crawled along the grooves of the stones. It was dangerous and borderline stupid. There was grass at the bottom instead of concrete, but it was still so far of a fall that I would probably break something.
In the back of my mind, I heard Crewe’s warning. If I tried to escape and failed, there would be serious consequences. I knew the threat was sincere, and I would seriously pay for my actions. I could chicken out and return to the bedroom. Or I could continue forward and hope for the best.
I had to get out of here.
I threw my legs over the edge and slowly began to descend, digging my nails into the grooves over the stones to hold my weight up. Within a minute, my skin began to burn at the contact. The exertion caused me to sweat. I gritted my teeth as I moved down, refusing to look at the ground and risk losing my footing.
I was halfway to the bottom when I heard the shouts.
“Find her!” Crewe’s terrifying voice echoed across the courtyard, reaching my ears even though he was clear on the other side of the property.
Shit.
I glanced down and knew I still had a way to go, but I didn’t have time to take it slow. I had to jump and hope for the best. After I took a deep breath, I let go.
I landed on the grass and rolled, coming out of my fall without any broken bones. My joints ached at the momentum my body felt against the earth, but that was nothing compared to how bad it could have been.
Flashlights erupted throughout the castle, in windows and on balconies, followed by irritated voices.
I had to get out of there.
I sprinted through the courtyard and headed for the trees, my heart beating so fast it threatened to burst. My feet struck the earth loudly, but I kept going, needing to break the tree line. Once I was in the wild with the trees and meadows, I could hide until they finally gave up. They may be patient, but I was determined.