Chapter 2 - The Unwanted Ride
Norah threw herself into the back seat of the armored SUV without a second thought.
Dominic slammed the heavy door shut just as a muffled pop echoed through the narrow alley.
A high-caliber bullet shattered the passenger-side window, spraying the luxurious leather interior with jagged safety glass.
"Drive, Marcus!" Dominic barked at his driver, his voice finally showing a sliver of urgency.
The heavy vehicle lurched forward aggressively, its tires screaming against the icy asphalt.
Norah curled into a tight ball on the floorboards, instinctively covering her head with her arms.
"Who is that man?" she screamed over the deafening roar of the engine.
Dominic calmly brushed sharp shards of glass from the sleeve of his expensive charcoal suit.
"He is a professional contractor," Dominic answered flatly, checking the rearview mirror.
"And he is very clearly aiming at you, not me."
Norah looked up at him in absolute disbelief, her mind struggling to process the situation.
"Why would any professional assassin want to kill a struggling waitress?" she demanded.
"Because you publicly humiliated the daughter of the most powerful political family in Chicago," he stated calmly.
Another bullet pierced the trunk, pinging loudly against the reinforced armored chassis.
Marcus swerved violently to avoid a civilian car, sending Norah sliding painfully across the floor.
"Valerie sent a hitman because I wouldn't let her bully a teenager?" Norah gasped, pulling herself up onto the seat.
"Valerie didn't send anyone," Dominic corrected, drawing a heavy, matte-black handgun from a shoulder holster beneath his jacket.
"Valerie was found dead in her luxury penthouse exactly an hour ago."
Norah felt the air leave her lungs completely as the horrifying reality set in.
"She was shot twice in the chest," Dominic continued, his eyes scanning the dark streets behind them.
"And half the city saw you threaten her in public two weeks ago."
Marcus took a sharp left turn, blowing straight through a red traffic light to lose their pursuer.
"They aren't just trying to kill you for revenge, Norah."
"They are making sure the perfect scapegoat disappears permanently before she can talk to the police."
Suddenly, a massive commercial delivery truck ran the next intersection, violently T-boning the front of their SUV.
The armored car spun wildly out of control and smashed directly into a concrete bridge pillar.
The world went completely dark for Norah in a terrifying instant.
When she finally opened her eyes, thick black smoke was pouring from the crumpled hood of the vehicle.
Marcus was slumped over the steering wheel, bleeding heavily from a nasty gash on his forehead.
Dominic kicked his jammed door open and grabbed Norah by the arm.
"We have to move on foot right now," he ordered, pulling her out into the freezing night.
They ran down a narrow service alley just as multiple police sirens began wailing in the distance.
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Norah looked back over her shoulder and saw three armed men stepping out of the truck that had hit them.
And the man leading them was wearing a shining Chicago Police Department badge on his belt.
