Chapter 12 - THE RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK
Leo scrambled to his feet in the waist-deep snow, the freezing wind whipping against his thin winter jacket as he looked around.
The storm was blinding, turning the sprawling Connecticut estate into a white abyss of zero visibility.
In the distance, parked near the dark edge of the pine woods, sat Chloe’s black SUV with its engine running quietly.
Inside the SUV, Chloe sat wrapped in a fur coat, staring intensely at her laptop screen while holding a small remote detonator.
Leo ducked behind a snowbank, realizing he couldn't reach the neighbor's house without being spotted by Chloe’s headlights.
He pulled a small smartphone from his pocket, his frozen fingers struggling to dial 911 through the touch screen.
"911 Emergency... what is your location?" the dispatcher's voice crackled through the phone speaker.
"My family is trapped inside 452 Maple Drive! My aunt locked us in and set a propane trap!" Leo cried out into the storm.
Back inside the kitchen, the digital timer on the tablet display ticked down to fifteen minutes remaining.
Margaret slowly began drawing the second part of her signature, intentionally moving her finger as slowly as humanly possible.
"Faster, Margaret! My patience is wearing thin!" Chloe screamed through the tablet speaker.
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"My hands are frozen, Chloe... if you want a legally binding signature, you will give me time," Margaret replied with icy calm.
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