Chapter 6 - The Runaway Mother
I pressed myself flat against the cold concrete floor, pulling Mia tightly against my chest.
Jackson was standing just a few feet away, peering into the dim light of the garage.
"I know you are in here, Emily," he whispered, his voice trembling with guilt.
I looked frantically around the cluttered space for any kind of weapon to defend myself.
My eyes landed on an old, heavy steel wrench resting on a wooden workbench nearby.
I slowly reached out, my fingers stretching as far as they could until I grasped the cold metal.
If my husband tried to hand me over to those monsters, I was prepared to fight him to the death.
Suddenly, a loud siren blared in the distance, drawing Jackson's attention away from the garage.
He cursed under his breath and quickly jogged back toward the main street to check on the cops.
I knew this was my absolute only chance to escape the immediate area.
I noticed an old, beaten-up station wagon parked inside the garage with the driver's side window rolled down.
I crept over to the vehicle and peered inside, hoping for a miracle.
The keys were sitting carelessly in the center cup holder, left behind by a trusting neighbor.
I opened the rear door as quietly as humanly possible and strapped Mia securely into a booster seat.
I slid into the driver's seat, holding my breath as I turned the ignition key.
The engine sputtered for a terrifying second before roaring to life with a loud rumble.
I slammed the car into reverse and backed out of the garage, tires spinning aggressively in the gravel alley.
I shifted into drive and sped away, ignoring the speed limit as I navigated the winding suburban backroads.
I needed to get as far away from Lorraine's neighborhood as possible before the corrupt cops traced the stolen car.
"Mommy, I found a secret," Mia said softly from the backseat.
I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw her holding up a small, silver object in her tiny hand.
"What is that, baby?" I asked, keeping my eyes scanning the road for police cruisers.
"Grandma put it in my pocket when the bad men knocked on the door," Mia explained innocently.
I pulled the car over into the parking lot of an abandoned strip mall and climbed into the back.
I gently took the object from her hand and examined it in the fading evening light.
It was a heavily encrypted USB flash drive made of solid titanium.
Lorraine had not hidden the stolen files in the torn doll on the porch.
She had hidden the only evidence that could destroy the syndicate directly on my three-year-old daughter.
Before I could process this massive revelation, the stolen car's Bluetooth display suddenly lit up.
May you like
The speakers crackled to life, and the older police officer's cold voice echoed through the vehicle.
"You really should check your purse for Apple AirTags, Emily," he said with a cruel laugh.
