Chapter 2 - The Tracker
The gunshot in the confined space of the SUV was deafening.
Roman had moved faster than my eyes could track, deflecting the driver’s wrist just as the weapon discharged.
The bullet shattered the windshield, letting the howling wind and rain blast into the cabin.
Roman struck the driver in the jaw with the butt of his pistol, knocking the man unconscious instantly.
The heavy vehicle violently swerved out of control, tires screeching against the slick asphalt.
"Brace yourself!" Roman roared, reaching over the console to grab the steering wheel.
He was too late.
The SUV smashed through a guardrail, plunging down a steep embankment and crashing into the muddy earth below.
Airbags deployed with a violent punch, filling the car with smoke and the smell of burnt powder.
I gasped for air, my head spinning from the impact.
Titan was barking wildly in the back, pushing his massive nose against my cheek to check on me.
"Are you hurt?" Roman asked, his voice strained as he kicked his jammed door open.
"I am okay," I choked out, scrambling out of the wreckage into the pouring rain.
We dragged Titan out, but the dog immediately started pawing frantically at his expensive leather harness.
I knelt in the mud, running my hands along the thick straps.
Hidden beneath a torn flap of leather, a small red light was blinking rhythmically.
"It is a GPS tracker," I whispered, horrified.
Roman cursed under his breath, realizing his own men had betrayed him and tagged his dog.
I pulled out my pocketknife and slashed the harness off, throwing it into the nearby river.
"We have to move before they triangulate the last signal," Roman said, pulling his soaking overcoat tight.
We sprinted into the dense woods bordering the highway, the freezing mud sucking at our shoes.
After a mile of agonizing running, Titan suddenly stopped and collapsed onto his side.
I dropped to my knees, panic gripping my chest as the dog began to violently heave.
"What is wrong with him?" Roman demanded, hovering over us.
May you like
Titan let out a terrifying choking sound, vomiting a mixture of bile and blood onto the wet leaves.
Nestled in the center of the mess was a solid steel cylinder.
