Chapter 5 - The Police Chase
The bell above the diner door jingled cheerfully as the two massive police officers walked inside.
My heart plummeted into my stomach as I realized Richard had likely used his wealth to manipulate the local authorities.
The officers walked straight to the counter and showed my photograph to the tired waitress.
"We are looking for this woman, she is a fugitive wanted for elder abuse and theft," the taller officer lied smoothly.
The waitress adjusted her glasses, squinting at the photograph while wiping down the counter.
Sarah reacted with incredible speed, silently closing the laptop and shoving it back into the metallic briefcase.
"Follow me, right now," Sarah mouthed, pointing toward the swinging doors of the diner's kitchen.
We slipped out of the booth and crawled on our hands and knees behind the long row of vinyl seats.
The smell of old grease and stale coffee masked the sound of our frantic, desperate movements.
We pushed through the swinging doors and entered the chaotic, messy kitchen of the diner.
A teenage cook looked up from the grill, his eyes widening in surprise as two women crawled past his station.
I put a finger to my lips, silently begging him not to give away our position to the corrupt police.
The boy simply nodded and turned back to flipping his burgers, pretending he had seen absolutely nothing.
We burst through the heavy metal back door and stepped out into a dark, trash-filled alleyway.
The rain was still pouring heavily, soaking my clothes and chilling me to the absolute bone.
A delivery van was idling near the dumpsters, its engine rumbling loudly while the driver was nowhere in sight.
"Get in!" Sarah urged, sliding into the driver's seat of the stolen van.
I climbed into the passenger side, clutching the briefcase and the envelope for dear life.
Sarah threw the van into gear and accelerated aggressively out of the narrow alleyway.
Just as we hit the main street, the police officers rushed out of the diner, shouting into their radios.
The police cruiser tore out of the parking lot, its sirens wailing furiously as it sped up right behind us.
"Hold on, Evelyn!" Sarah yelled, gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles.
She swerved violently through the slick, rain-soaked streets, running red lights and narrowly avoiding oncoming traffic.
The heavy delivery van was not built for speed, and the police cruiser was closing the distance rapidly.
Sarah took a sharp, dangerous turn down a narrow, winding industrial road filled with abandoned warehouses.
She killed the headlights and slammed on the brakes, sliding the van behind a massive stack of rusted shipping containers.
We held our breath as the police cruiser sped past our hiding spot, completely missing us in the dark.
I let out a massive sigh of relief, thanking God for Sarah's incredible driving skills.
"We need to get to the bank downtown before Richard realizes where we are going," I said, checking my watch.
Sarah nodded and carefully navigated the van back onto the main road, heading toward the city center.
The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a pale, gray light over the towering skyscrapers.
We pulled up to the grand marble steps of the private bank just as the heavy brass doors were scheduled to open.
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I grabbed the briefcase and stepped out of the van, ready to finally secure Harrison's legacy.
Standing perfectly still at the top of the marble steps was Edward, Harrison's youngest son, holding a tactical submachine gun.
