Chapter 10 - The Open Road
The Los Angeles night was lit up by police helicopters and flashing sirens. Federal agents swarmed the Vance estate, arresting politicians and cartel bosses alike as the digital ledger tore through the global news cycle.
Miles away, parked on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the battered Dodge Charger idled quietly in the dark.
Marcus sat on the hood, the cool ocean breeze washing over him. The scent of burnt rubber and gunpowder still lingered on his clothes, but for the first time in ten years, he didn't feel the suffocating weight of his past.
The passenger door opened, and Elena climbed up onto the hood beside him. She had patched her cuts and changed out of the caterer uniform. She looked exhausted, but her eyes were bright and alive.
"It's everywhere," Elena said, looking at the news feed on her phone. "Vance is going to a supermax. The defense deal is dead. We actually did it."
Marcus looked down at his hands. The permanent layer of grease was still there in the creases of his knuckles, but the blood was finally gone. He had paid his debt.
"So," Marcus said, looking out at the endless expanse of the dark ocean. "Where do we go now? The feds might still look for the ghosts who leaked the drive."
Elena smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I hear the roads in South America are beautiful this time of year. Good places for a mechanic. Better places for a driver."
Marcus let out a genuine laugh—a sound he hadn't made in a decade.
May you like
He hopped off the hood and extended a hand to Elena. She took it, and they slid into the Charger.
Marcus gripped the steering wheel, shifting the car into gear. The engine roared, a powerful, mechanical symphony. He didn't look in the rearview mirror as they merged onto the Pacific Coast Highway, the taillights fading into the distance, leaving the ghosts of the past permanently in the dust.
