Chapter 3 - The Flight Through the Foyer
"Rebecca! Come back here, you bitch!" Julian roared.
He lunged upward from the floor to grab her dress, but his foot caught on the edge of a thick, woven beige throw pillow that had fallen off the sofa during their initial struggle. He stumbled, his knee hitting the hardwood with a loud thwack, but he scrambled back up onto his feet instantly, his face distorted into a mask of pure demonic rage.
Rebecca sprinted.
Her feet slammed against the light hardwood, her sleeveless white dress billowed around her knees like a flag in a storm. Lily was clinging to her like a panicked primate, her legs wrapped around Rebecca’s waist, her arms locked around her neck, her tear-stained face hidden against her mother’s shoulder.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Lily wailed hysterically.
"Hold on, baby! Hold on!" Rebecca gasped, her lungs burning, her heart slamming against her ribcage so hard it felt like it was tearing her chest apart.
The foyer lay twenty feet ahead—a wide, towering hallway lined with minimalist artwork and expensive marble pedestals. At the far end stood the grand double front doors, the sunlight pouring through the translucent side panels, illuminating the distinct, imposing silhouette of a broad-shouldered man in a suit standing on the exterior porch.
Behind her, the sound of Julian’s leather-soled dress shoes screeched against the slick floor as he regained his balance and gave chase. His heavy, furious footfalls gained on her with terrifying speed. He was an athlete; she was carrying a child.
"You aren't leaving!" Julian yelled, his voice echoing off the high-ceilinged drywall of the grand corridor.
Rebecca reached the threshold of the entryway. Ten feet. Five feet. She could hear Julian’s ragged breathing right behind her left shoulder. She felt the rush of air as his arm swept through the space just inches from her trailing hair.
Using the last reserve of her physical strength, Rebecca threw her weight forward, extending her hand toward the heavy brass latch of the left front door.
Julian reached out to tackle her around the waist, throwing his entire body weight forward to slam them both into the ground. But his leather soles hit a spot of polished floor near the entryway coat rack. He lost all friction.
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At that exact microsecond, Rebecca hit the brass thumb-latch with her thumb and threw her body weight against the heavy mahogany door.
The massive door swung wide open into the bright, blinding afternoon light.
