Chapter 3 - The Burner
We needed wheels, but my SUV was sitting in the driveway, undoubtedly tracked by whatever GPS software David used to monitor my movements.
I walked us to a nearby strip mall and bought a cheap burner phone and a prepaid debit card from a convenience store. Then, I dialed a number I hadn't called in six years.
"Yeah?" a gruff voice answered.
"Elias," I breathed.
Silence on the line. Elias was my older brother, an ex-Marine who lived off the grid in the mountains of upstate New York. David had systematically alienated me from my entire family, convincing me Elias was a toxic influence. In reality, Elias was the only man who had ever seen through David's charming facade.
"Sarah?" Elias said, his voice instantly dropping to a serious octave. "Are you okay?"
"David tried to have us killed this morning," I said, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. "We got out. We have nothing. I need help."
"Where are you?"
I gave him the address of the diner.
"I have a buddy who runs a salvage yard two miles from there. Walk there. Don't take a cab, don't take a bus. Walk. He’ll have a car waiting for you, keys in the visor. Drive north. I’ll meet you at the halfway point."
May you like
He didn't ask questions. He didn't doubt me. He just shifted into tactical mode.
An hour later, Sophie and I were sitting in a rusted but reliable 1999 Honda Civic, speeding out of the city limits. As I watched the skyline fade in the rearview mirror, my fear slowly began to curdle into pure, unadulterated rage.
