Chapter 7 - The Billionaire Awakens
Maria and Elias watched in absolute shock as the massive black SUV tore past their hiding spot.
Daniel Whitfield, the man who had been in a deep coma for eleven days, was fully conscious and clearly fighting for his life.
“Get in the car!” Elias yelled, diving back into the driver’s seat of the sedan.
Maria scrambled into the passenger side, her heart pounding furiously against her ribs.
Elias slammed the sedan into gear, peeling out of the alley to chase the speeding SUV.
The rain was pouring heavily now, making the dark industrial roads incredibly treacherous.
Up ahead, two unmarked black cars swerved out of a side street, aggressively pursuing Daniel’s vehicle.
The men in the pursuing cars leaned out the windows, firing automatic weapons at the SUV.
Sparks flew wildly as bullets ricocheted off the heavy armor plating of Daniel’s vehicle.
“They are trying to run him off the road!” Maria screamed, ducking below the dashboard.
Elias remained perfectly calm, his eyes locked on the chaotic pursuit unfolding in front of them.
“Daniel’s SUV is heavily armored, but the tires are completely vulnerable,” Elias noted.
Suddenly, Daniel leaned out of the missing side door of his SUV, the rain whipping his hospital gown.
He raised the heavy shotgun with surprising strength and fired precisely at the pursuing car closest to him.
The blast shattered the engine block of the black car, sending it spinning violently into a brick wall.
“He’s definitely awake,” Elias muttered, a grim smile touching his lips.
But the second pursuing car accelerated, ramming aggressively into the back of Daniel’s SUV.
The heavy impact sent the SUV skidding wildly across the wet asphalt.
It crashed violently through a chain-link fence and plummeted down a steep embankment into a flooded construction site.
The SUV hit the muddy water with a massive splash and immediately began sinking.
“No!” Maria shrieked, terrified the billionaire had survived the hitmen only to drown.
Elias slammed on the brakes, stopping the sedan at the edge of the embankment.
The remaining hitmen stopped their car nearby, stepping out with assault rifles to finish the job.
Elias didn't hesitate for a single second.
He raised his suppressed pistol and fired two perfect shots through the heavy rain.
Both hitmen dropped to the ground instantly, neutralized before they even realized they were under attack.
Elias reloaded his weapon and sprinted down the muddy embankment toward the sinking SUV.
Maria followed him without thinking, sliding down the slick mud to the water's edge.
The front half of the heavy vehicle was completely submerged in the deep, muddy water.
Elias waded into the freezing water, pulling the heavy back door open with all his strength.
Daniel was trapped inside, struggling violently against his jammed seatbelt as the water rapidly rose.
Elias pulled a tactical knife from his pocket and sliced through the tough nylon belt.
Together, Maria and Elias dragged the exhausted, soaking wet billionaire out of the sinking wreckage.
They hauled him up the muddy bank, collapsing onto the wet grass near the road.
Daniel coughed violently, expelling muddy water from his lungs.
He looked up at Elias, his dark eyes sharp and incredibly lucid despite the massive trauma he had endured.
“Elias,” Daniel gasped, his voice raspy and raw.
“Good to see you, Boss,” Elias smiled, helping him sit up.
Daniel turned his intense gaze toward Maria, studying her face closely in the dark.
“You’re the housekeeper,” Daniel said, remembering her instantly.
“Yes, sir,” Maria whispered, shivering violently in the cold rain.
Daniel reached out and gripped her arm with surprising, desperate strength.
“Where is the little girl?” Daniel demanded urgently.
“Where is Sophia?”
Maria looked at him, completely bewildered.
“She is safe at home with my neighbor,” Maria answered.
“Why?”
Daniel’s jaw tightened, his expression turning terrifyingly cold.
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“Because Charles Voss knows she is the only reason I woke up,” Daniel revealed.
“And he just sent a hit squad to your apartment to silence her permanently.”
