Page 62 of Happily Ever After

Escape

Flicka von Hannover

“All [war] takes place,

so to speak,

in a kind of twilight,

which like a fog or moonlight,

often tends to make things seem grotesque

and larger than they really are.”

~~Carl von Clausewitz

Another hallway opened in front of Flicka and Raphael as they ran. She slapped her high-heeled pumps on the floor and pushed off with her toes forevery extra inch.

Raphael, Jordan Defrancesco, and Luca ran beside her.

Flicka bobbled sideways and pushed herself off the wall to regain her feet.

Raphael grabbed her arm. “We’re almost out.”

Romain Belmontslammed the door behind them and slapped a device over the knob that extended beyond the doorframe and latched it to the wall to slow down their pursuers.

Flicka ran with Raphael.

Hesaid, “Just a few more turns, and we’ll be out and safe. Come on.”

“How do you know how to get out of the palace?” she asked him.

Raphael was watching the walls as they ran. “Aiden drew maps and showed me several exits when I sneaked in yesterday.Here,down these stairs.”

He yanked open a stairwell door and whirled her in front of him.

“Down,” he said. “Down two levels.”

Flicka clutchedher skirt and the banister and sprinted down the stairs.

Romain, Jordan, and Luca thundered down them behind her.

They slid and sprinted down two floors.

Above them, a door slapped open. More gunshots clapped through the air.

The Secret Service held a better position now: the high ground and with none of their people behind Flicka and Raphael.

Now, they could shoot.

Flicka counted two floorsdown as she pattered down the stairs. A green door was on the next landing. She glanced at Raphael right behind her, who was nodding.

She grabbed the handle and pulled, stumbling out into another hallway, one that was dustier and smelled like mildew and mice.

Raphael whisper-yelled,“Go left!”

She turned. Raphael sprinted beside her.