Chapter 8 - THE BOATHOUSE SECRET
The wooden door rattled violently under the guards' assault.
"Open up! This building is private property!" a voice shouted from outside.
Lara pressed her back against the rotting timber, her chest heaving as she tried to control her breathing.
The boathouse was filled with the smell of old motor oil, dust, and damp canvas.
Dust motes danced in the thin beams of light piercing through the cracked roof boards.
"She’s locked the door!" another guard yelled. "Get the crowbar from the utility shed!"
Lara had minutes—maybe seconds—before they broke through.
She scanned the dim interior for an escape route.
At the back of the boathouse, a set of concrete steps led down into a dark sub-level dock.
A small motorboat bobbed gently against the murky water of the private lake.
Before she could head toward the steps, a small shadow detached itself from behind a stack of old fishing nets.
Lara instinctively raised her fists.
"Relax, it's just me," a quiet, calm voice whispered.
Grace stepped out from the gloom, holding a heavy iron key ring.
Lara stared at the child in utter disbelief.
"Grace? How did you... how did you get out here?"
"My father’s security system has blind spots near the water," Grace said matter-of-factly, walking past Lara toward the boat.
"And I know this estate better than anyone."
"You lied to your father," Lara accused, her voice sharp with lingering betrayal. "You told him I made you lie!"
Grace stopped and turned, her young face carrying the weight of someone twice her age.
"If I didn't play along, Viviana would have had the guards lock you in the basement," Grace explained calmly.
"My father is blind when it comes to her."
"He wants to believe she loves him because he's lonely."
"Playing along bought us time."
Outside, the heavy thud of a crowbar striking the boathouse door echoed through the room.
The wood began to splinter near the rusty bolt.
"They're coming in," Lara said, panic surging back.
"Get in the boat," Grace ordered, tossing a set of ignition keys into Lara’s hands.
"Where are we going?" Lara asked, scrambling into the small watercraft.
"To my mother’s real lawyer," Grace said, climbing in beside her.
"Not the one Viviana hired for the firm."
"The one who holds the original Hollis family trust."
The front door of the boathouse splintered inward with a loud crash.
Light flooded the interior as the guards rushed down the ramp.
Lara jammed the key into the ignition and twisted it hard.
The engine roared to life with a deafening cough of exhaust smoke.
She threw the gear into reverse just as a security guard lunged for the bow.
The boat shot backward into the open water, leaving the guards shouting angrily on the dock.
May you like
Lara steered the vessel toward the opposite wooded shore, leaving the Hollis mansion behind.
But she knew Viviana would not let them escape easily.
