Chapter 12 - THE BLACK SUV ON ROUTE 9
"Pack only what fits in one bag each," Daniel ordered, his voice dangerously low as he locked every deadbolt and pulled the heavy drapes shut. "We have twenty minutes."
"Daniel, she's out on bail? How is that even possible?" Clara's voice shook, though she forced herself to keep moving, tossing Noah's warm jackets and vital medication into a duffel bag. "The police saw the gun! The whole city saw her pull the trigger on a helpless woman and a terrified six-year-old!"
"Money doesn't just buy lawyers in this town, Clara—it buys judges, district attorneys, and entire police precincts," Daniel said bitterly as he grabbed a locked metal case from the top of the closet. He opened it, revealing two burner phones and a thick stack of untraceable cash. "Victoria Sterling’s father built the courthouse she walked out of this morning. She’s not waiting for a trial. She’s cleaning up loose ends."
Noah stood in the middle of his room, clutching his stuffed bear against his chest. "Auntie Clara? Are the bad people with the shiny glasses coming back?"
Clara dropped to her knees, looking directly into the boy's wide, luminous hazel eyes. She smoothed back his hair with steady hands, forcing a smile she didn't feel. "No, baby. Daddy and I are taking you on an adventure. Remember the lighthouse we talked about? We’re going to see it today."
Ten minutes later, their battered station wagon peeled out of the gravel driveway, heading toward Route 9. The sky was an ominous bruised violet, choked with pre-storm thunderheads. Daniel kept his eyes glued to the rearview mirror.
"Two cars back," Daniel muttered five miles outside the county line. "Charcoal Cadillac Escalade. Tinted windows. No front plate."
Clara glanced in the side mirror. The massive vehicle was pacing them, keeping precisely fifty yards behind, an immovable predator stalking its prey. Whenever Daniel changed lanes, the SUV mirrored the maneuver.
"Daniel, they’re closing the distance," Clara said, her heart hammering against her ribs.
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Noah pointed at the window. "Daddy, the big car is flashing its lights."
Suddenly, the Escalade accelerated with a roar of a modified V8 engine, rocketing forward on the rain-slick asphalt. It wasn't trying to follow them anymore. It was pulling alongside to ram them into the steep ravine below.
