Chapter 16 - The Hunt in the Dark
Daniel and Emma ran wildly down the slick, rain-soaked asphalt of the desolate country highway.
There were no streetlights, no houses, and absolutely no cars passing by in the middle of the violent storm.
Daniel pulled out his cell phone, praying the storm hadn't completely knocked out the local cell towers.
He dialed 911, holding the phone tightly to his wet ear as he dragged Emma forward.
“911, what is your emergency?” the dispatcher answered through a blast of heavy static.
“My name is Daniel Jenkins. My mother and her security guard are trying to kill us. I have proof of multiple homicides,” Daniel shouted desperately.
Before he could give the dispatcher their exact location, the wet asphalt behind them suddenly lit up with blinding white light.
A massive, black tactical SUV was tearing down the highway, completely ignoring the dangerous weather conditions.
Elias was behind the wheel, and he was gaining on them rapidly.
“Get off the road!” Daniel screamed, shoving Emma down a steep, muddy embankment just as the SUV roared past them.
The massive vehicle slammed on its brakes, sliding violently on the wet road before coming to a halt.
Daniel and Emma tumbled into the thick, dense woods lining the highway, completely covered in dark mud and freezing rain.
Elias stepped out of the SUV, holding a high-powered tactical flashlight and his heavy, suppressed pistol.
He didn't yell. He didn't make empty threats.
Elias moved into the tree line with the terrifying, silent precision of a professional predator tracking a wounded animal.
Daniel pulled Emma behind the thick trunk of a massive oak tree, clamping his muddy hand over her mouth to muffle her terrified sobs.
The bright beam of Elias's flashlight cut through the dark woods, sweeping back and forth just a few yards away.
Daniel tightened his grip on the encrypted USB drive in his pocket.
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He couldn't outrun a trained ranger in the dark woods, but he refused to die quietly in the mud.
He needed a weapon, and he needed it now.
