Chapter 4 - The Highway Chase
Adrian slammed his foot on the gas pedal, weaving recklessly through the dense afternoon traffic.
"What did Victoria do to her?" Adrian shouted over the roaring engine of the stolen taxi.
Clara sobbed uncontrollably, rocking the choking infant back and forth in a desperate attempt to soothe her.
"The bad men gave Mia a special injection right before we escaped the basement," Clara cried.
"They said it was a slow poison that would stop her heart if you did not follow their rules."
Adrian’s grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles turned completely white.
The black SUVs behind them accelerated, ramming brutally into the rear bumper of the taxi.
The sudden impact sent the yellow car spinning wildly across two lanes of the crowded highway.
Adrian fought the steering wheel, regaining control just before they crashed into the concrete divider.
He knew he could not outrun military-grade pursuit vehicles in a standard city cab.
He spotted a narrow, descending ramp leading down into a dark, abandoned subway maintenance tunnel.
Adrian yanked the steering wheel hard to the right, plunging the vehicle into absolute darkness.
The taxi crashed through a chain-link fence and skidded to a violent halt on the gravel tracks.
The black SUVs flew past the hidden ramp on the highway above, completely losing their target in the chaos.
Adrian leaped out of the driver’s seat and ripped the back door open.
He took baby Mia into his arms, checking the infant’s dangerously slow pulse with trembling fingers.
The baby was barely breathing, her tiny body burning with a severe, unnatural fever.
"I know a private doctor who used to serve in my military unit," Adrian told Clara urgently.
"We have to get there before the poison reaches her heart."
They abandoned the ruined taxi and ran blindly through the damp, pitch-black subway tunnel.
Clara struggled to keep up, her bare feet bleeding profusely from the sharp rocks and broken glass.
Adrian carried the dying infant with one arm and supported his exhausted teenage daughter with the other.
After thirty grueling minutes, they emerged through a rusted grating into a quiet, industrial alleyway.
Adrian’s encrypted smartwatch suddenly vibrated with an incoming video call from an unknown number.
May you like
He answered the call, and Victoria’s wicked, smiling face appeared brightly on the small digital screen.
"Your little baby has exactly three hours to live without the specific synthetic antidote I possess, Adrian."
