Chapter 5 - The Digital Trap
I ripped the flash drive out of the USB port instantly.
I slammed the laptop shut, my hands trembling with raw fear.
Arthur and Elena had planted a tracking virus on the drive in case someone found it.
They knew exactly where we were.
"Grab your coats right now," I told the girls.
"We can't stay here another minute."
We scrambled out to the truck, abandoning most of our belongings inside the house.
I drove aimlessly onto the highway, putting as much distance between us and the house as possible.
The rain continued to beat against the windshield like tiny hammers.
Rachel was holding April in the backseat, trying to keep her warm.
Suddenly, a horrifying sound filled the cab of the truck.
April started coughing, a deep, rattling sound that made my blood run cold.
She leaned forward, gasping for air as her small chest heaved.
When she pulled her hand away from her mouth, her palm was covered in dark red blood.
My heart completely stopped.
It was the exact same cough Rose had developed during her final months.
Arthur hadn't just poisoned my daughter.
He had been exposing the children to the same toxic compound to get rid of them slowly.
Tears streamed down Lucy’s face as she wiped her sister's chin.
"Grandpa, she's burning up," Lucy cried.
I pressed my foot down on the gas pedal, accelerating dangerously.
I couldn't take her to a regular hospital because Arthur would track her medical records.
I only knew one person who could help us quietly.
An old friend of mine, Dr. Evans, ran an underground private clinic for uninsured patients.
I pulled into the gravel driveway of his clinic just as April lost consciousness.
I carried her limp body inside, screaming for a doctor.
Dr. Evans rushed out of the back room and placed her on a steel examination table.
He drew her blood and ran it through his rapid testing machine.
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Ten minutes later, he walked back into the room with a terrified look on his face.
"Charles," he whispered. "This isn't a normal poison."
