Chapter 5 - The Burner Phone
I immediately hung up the phone and threw it into the nearest library trash can.
David's illegal surveillance software had clearly tracked my GPS location.
I grabbed Leo's hand and practically dragged him out the back exit of the library.
We ducked into a crowded subway station to lose anyone who might be tailing us.
I used the emergency cash from my wallet to buy a cheap burner phone from a convenience store.
I also paid a teenager in the alley two thousand dollars in cash for his beat-up sedan.
We needed someone on the inside who could help us navigate this deadly conspiracy.
I dialed the number of Detective Marcus Miller, an old high school friend who was now a senior investigator for the Seattle police.
Marcus answered on the second ring, sounding surprised to hear from me after so many years.
I quickly explained the situation, the flash drive, and David's illegal trafficking ring.
"Claire, you are in extreme danger, you need to bring that flash drive to me right now," Marcus urged.
He told me to meet him at an abandoned train yard on the outskirts of the city where no one could track us.
I drove the rusty sedan through the pouring rain, feeling a small glimmer of hope.
Marcus was a good man, and he would know how to protect Leo and expose David.
We arrived at the desolate train yard just as the sun began to set behind the grey clouds.
Marcus was waiting for us near an old, rusted boxcar, wearing his police jacket.
I smiled in relief and stepped out of the car with the flash drive securely in my pocket.
"Thank God you are here, Marcus," I said, walking toward him.
He looked at me with a cold, hollow expression that made my stomach drop.
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"I am truly sorry about this, Claire," Marcus said quietly.
He reached into his jacket, pulled out his service weapon, and pointed it directly at my chest.
