BLOODHOUNDS #2: THE TAKER

Chapter 2 - ESCAPE

Tatiana Clifford

It's midnight.

"Okay, I'm ready." The guards just turned off the garden lights, and it's my cue to throw my bags down.

"Did you throw your bags?" Clyde asked as I threw my bags, and thankfully, there were no guards around the area at night. I closed the window slowly and felt a cold sweat on my forehead.

This is just the beginning, Tatiana.

"Yes, I did." Then, an alarm went off downstairs, taking the guards' attention. Now, I'm waiting for Clyde's cue to leave my room.

"Good, now go out. The guards just left to check the alarm." I opened the door slowly, and the hallway was empty.

"Run to the west wing now!" I strolled past Gloria's room, ran towards the west wing, and stopped when a guard passed. I crawled to hide behind the sofa.

"Where the fuck are you?" Remind me to smack this man when I get to Seattle. He was a prince once, and he should not have talked to me like that.

When the guards left, I ran through the bridge that led to the west wing. I saw a shadow following me with my bags, and I kept running until Clyde told me to stop.

"Take the right." I followed his instructions, and I gasped when I saw a guard standing at the end of the hallway. His back was facing me.

Another alarm went off, and the guard ran toward it. I continued running, "Take the stairs down, and Oslo will meet you there."

I went down the stairs straight to the kitchen, where all the chefs were still busy. I put my head down and ran past them. I walked out to the garden and found a man waiting for me with my bags. He's wearing the same uniform as my guards.

He's tall and so muscular that I bet my guards will immediately suspect him. He looked like a mafia member to me.

"That's Oslo." Clyde introduced him to me, and I nodded.

"Ms.Clifford." Oslo greeted.

"Tatiana, we only have 8 minutes to spare starting from now. I want you to listen to me and do everything as I say if you want to succeed." I assumed Oslo listened to Clyde as well because he was nodding.

"Oslo, take her to the west garden." Without any warning, he grabbed my upper arm and led me there. He then shoved me to a bush. I was about to protest when four guards and three maids walked past him.

"You're new?" One of them asked Oslo. Oslo didn't even bother to answer. He stared at them.

"Very well, we'll leave you alone." Oslo stood still like he was guarding the place. After they left, Oslo grabbed me and dragged me again towards the west garden.

We stopped right in front of a sewer hole.

"Get in, T," Clyde said, and Oslo opened it. I didn't even hesitate to jump, and Oslo joined me. He closed the hole and led me.

The sewer was disgusting, but I'm not complaining when I want freedom. I kept following Oslo, and he grabbed a lighter on his way.

"1 minute to get out of there. The guards will come." Oslo turned right and opened another hole. "After you, Ms.Clifford." I walked in first, and Oslo told me to run.

"Rodi, almost there!" Oslo said, and I stopped when another man was already waiting for me. He gestured for me to come closer, and he picked me up by the waist to go up.

I looked around, and three guards were walking toward me.

"Guards, closing the hole for a minute," I said and closed the hole while I was hiding behind a bush. The guards stopped to guard the back entrance, which we would use to escape.

"Find something to distract them." Clyde said and I looked around to find something.

Think of something, Tatiana. Think!

I grabbed a rock and looked to the back, where a bench existed. I threw the rock there, causing the guards to turn around at the same time. One of them walked towards the bench, and I saw Rodi take a peek from the sewer hole.

"Rodi, I don't think it's a good idea," I whispered, and one of the guards turned to me. He was squinting his eyes.

"We don't have time! Just book it!" Clyde shouted. Oslo and Rodi exited the sewer, causing the guards to take out their guns. Oslo and Rodi then injected them with something before they could shoot both of them. The guards fell unconscious.

Rodi then sat by the wall, putting his hands together for me to jump over the fence.

"Jump!" Clyde said, and I ran towards Rodi, and he threw me out the wall. I almost screamed, but someone caught me, and I almost cried when I saw that I was already out.

"Ms.Clifford, I'm Sage." He introduced himself and said that he looked so scary. Oslo threw the bags over the wall, and they landed beside us.

"Go!" Oslo and Rodi joined, and Sage led me to the black SUV. I got inside, and Sage drove us away from the palace.

"Thank you," I said to the three of them. They gave me a nod.

"She's out, boss," Oslo reported as he gave me my bags.

"Good, erasing footage, and have a safe flight, Clifford." With that, Clyde ended the communication. They took me to the airport, where a jet awaited me. Rodi opened the door for me, and I got out.

"Oslo will be with you, Ms.Clifford. Mr.Grant will be waiting on the other side." I gave Rodi and Sage a big hug.

"Thank you! I'll make sure to repay everything!" I smiled at them, and they nodded.

"Let's go, Ms. Clifford," Oslo said as he retook my bag. We got in, and two air stewardesses greeted me. I sat by the window and clapped my hands, utterly proud of myself.

"We're taking off in 2 minutes." The pilot announced, and I looked out the window, waving at Rodi and Sage.

"Hello, Mr.Grant." My attention snapped to Oslo, who was on the phone.

"She's with me, boss. Everything went well." Oslo then put the call on speaker.

"Hello, Princess." Shivers ran through my body because of his low and cold voice. I gulped nervously as I looked up at Oslo. "I expect you have something to offer me." I grabbed the phone from him.

"If you help me, yes." It almost came out as a whisper.

"Good because I'm not helping anyone without anything in return."