Chapter 4 - The Abandoned Station
We walked for what felt like an absolute eternity through the cold, winding underground tunnels.
The air was thick with the smell of mildew and rusted iron, making it difficult to draw a deep breath.
Victor moved with the silent, deadly grace of a predator, his flashlight scanning every corner ahead of us.
I stumbled over a broken brick, my worn-out sneakers slipping on the damp, uneven floor.
Victor's hand shot out, catching my arm before I could fall and drop my precious baby.
"Careful," he whispered, his grip firm but surprisingly gentle.
"We are almost at the extraction point."
Lily remained peacefully asleep against my chest, the medicine finally giving her the rest her tiny body desperately needed.
Ten minutes later, the narrow dirt tunnel opened up into a massive, cavernous space lined with beautiful, decaying tile work.
We had reached the legendary abandoned City Hall subway station, a forgotten relic hidden beneath the bustling streets of Manhattan.
Faint shafts of moonlight filtered through the filthy skylights far above, casting eerie shadows across the empty platform.
Victor guided me toward a rusted maintenance door at the far end of the station.
He pulled a heavy ring of keys from his pocket and unlocked the heavy iron deadbolt.
Behind the door was a small, dusty utility room containing a sleek, black motorcycle and a large duffel bag.
"I have safe houses scattered across the five boroughs, but this one is completely off the books," Victor said, tossing the bag over his shoulder.
"We cannot risk taking a car; Dante controls too many traffic cops and toll operators."
I looked at the heavy, intimidating motorcycle in absolute terror.
"I am holding a sick infant, Victor," I protested, my voice echoing slightly in the small room.
"I cannot ride on the back of a motorcycle in a snowstorm."
Victor opened a large metal locker against the wall and pulled out a heavy, insulated tactical baby carrier.
"I prepared this escape route years ago, hoping your mother might one day need it," he confessed softly.
He helped me strap the secure, padded carrier to my chest, ensuring Lily was completely protected and warm.
Then, he handed me a heavy leather jacket and a matte black helmet.
"Hold onto my waist tightly, and do not let go no matter how fast we move," he ordered.
I climbed onto the back of the powerful machine, wrapping my arms securely around his solid, muscular torso.
Victor kicked the engine to life, the roar echoing deafeningly off the subway tiles.
He drove us up a steep utility ramp, bursting through a set of hidden wooden doors and into a dark, snowy alleyway.
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The freezing winter wind whipped past us, but the heavy leather and Victor's large frame shielded me from the cold.
We sped through the empty, snow-covered streets of New York, leaving the burning mansion far behind us.
