Chapter 3 - The Dark Highway
We sprinted blindly through the sprawling industrial kitchen, slipping on the slick tile floors.
Lily clung tightly to my neck, burying her weeping face into my shoulder as we ran.
Nathaniel slammed the heavy metal service doors shut and jammed a rolling steel prep table against them.
"They will break through that barricade in less than two minutes," Nathaniel said, his breathing heavy and ragged.
He led us down a dark, narrow corridor that connects the kitchens to the underground parking garage.
His sleek, armored black SUV was waiting in its designated VIP spot near the private elevator.
He unlocked the vehicle remotely, and we threw ourselves into the plush leather seats just as alarms began to blare.
Nathaniel started the powerful engine and slammed his foot aggressively onto the accelerator.
We smashed through the wooden security gate of the estate, tearing out onto the dark, rain-slicked highway.
The cold wind howled outside the reinforced windows, but the silence inside the car was absolutely suffocating.
"How did Vanessa manage to forge a federal medical document and your signature?" I finally asked, my voice trembling.
Nathaniel kept his eyes locked firmly on the dark road ahead.
"Her father is a corrupt federal judge who has been laundering money through my hospitality company," he confessed quietly.
"I found out about it last month and was building a massive legal case to destroy him."
"Vanessa must have discovered my investigation and decided to use you and Lily as leverage to stop me."
I pulled Lily closer to my chest, kissing the top of her dark, messy curls.
"Where are we going to hide tonight?" I asked, feeling completely lost and terrified.
"I have a highly secure safe house in the northern mountains that is not registered under my name," Nathaniel promised.
I finally allowed myself to exhale a shaky breath of relief, believing we had successfully escaped.
Then, the digital display on the dashboard suddenly flickered and died completely.
The powerful engine sputtered violently before shutting down, leaving us coasting in the pitch-black darkness.
The doors locked automatically with a sharp, terrifying mechanical click.
A sinister, pre-recorded voice echoed through the car's sound system.
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"You really should not have trusted the vehicle I bought for your birthday, Nathaniel," Vanessa's voice mocked.
Through the windshield, the headlights of three massive armored trucks suddenly clicked on, completely blocking the road ahead.
