Chapter 2 - The Getaway
Sophie grabbed Olivia by the hand and practically dragged the stunned bride out the side door of the luxury hotel.
The cold night air hit Olivia's face, snapping her out of the initial shock and forcing her survival instincts to take over.
They ran across the poorly lit employee parking lot toward Sophie's beat-up silver sedan.
Olivia glanced over her shoulder and saw the two off-duty police officers violently shoving Daniel into an unmarked black van instead of a standard police cruiser.
Sophie noticed it too, realizing instantly that those men were not actual law enforcement officers.
The fake police were clearly mercenaries hired to extract Daniel before the real authorities could arrive and ask dangerous questions.
Sophie fumbled with her keys, finally unlocking the sedan and shoving the desperate bride into the passenger seat.
The engine sputtered for a terrifying second before finally roaring to life.
Sophie slammed her foot onto the gas pedal, accelerating wildly out of the parking lot just as the black van turned to pursue them.
They sped through the dark city streets, weaving recklessly through heavy traffic to lose the terrifying men chasing them.
After twenty minutes of high-speed evasion, Sophie finally pulled into a dark alleyway behind an abandoned grocery store.
They sat in the dark car, breathing heavily as they listened to the distant sound of police sirens fading away.
Olivia turned to the young waitress, demanding to know how Sophie had managed to be in the exact right place to photograph the poisoning.
Before Sophie could answer, her cheap cell phone buzzed loudly on the dashboard, illuminating the dark interior of the car.
An anonymous text message appeared on the glowing screen, containing an attached image of a young boy tied to a chair.
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The message read, "Bring the bride to the shipping docks by midnight, or your little brother dies."
Sophie burst into tears, covering her face with her hands as her darkest secret was finally exposed.
