Chapter 8 - The Fugitive
The man in the tailored gray suit approached our vehicle with the quiet confidence of a federal authority. He flashed a gold badge that identified him as Special Agent Vance of the Department of Defense. "Colonel Nicole Turner, you are under arrest for treason and the illegal trafficking of weapons-grade lithium," Vance declared loudly. I stared at him in absolute shock, recognizing the last name immediately from the mercenary who killed my father. This was Victor Vance's brother, working deep inside the federal government to protect Wade Cain's empire. "This is a complete frame job, and you know it," I yelled through the cracked window of the cruiser. Dozens of heavily armed federal agents poured out of the transport, leveling automatic rifles at my windshield. Captain Miller gripped his sidearm, but I quickly put my hand over his to stop him from drawing it. "If we fight them here, my mother and Kayla will be caught in a massive crossfire," I whispered urgently. I slowly opened the driver's door and stepped out with my hands raised high in the crisp morning air. "I surrender peacefully, but my family has absolutely nothing to do with this," I stated firmly. Agent Vance smiled coldly, a cruel and calculated expression that mirrored his mercenary brother's face. "Your family is coming with us as material witnesses to your vast criminal enterprise," Vance replied smoothly. Two agents stepped forward with heavy steel handcuffs and violently wrenched my arms behind my back. They pushed me into the dark, cramped compartment of their transport vehicle, bolting the door from the outside. I sat in the pitch-black darkness, listening as they loaded my mother, Kayla, and Miller into separate vehicles. I knew Wade Cain had orchestrated this perfect trap to eliminate me using the power of the federal government. If I arrived at whatever black-site prison they were taking me to, I would never see the light of day again. I shifted my wrists slightly, testing the tension and quality of the heavy federal handcuffs binding me. They were standard issue, which meant they could be easily manipulated if I found the right leverage. I dropped to the floor of the moving van and pressed the metal chain against the sharp steel edge of the seat bracket. I twisted my body forcefully, using my entire core strength to torque the cheap metal connecting links. With a sharp, satisfying snap, the center chain completely broke, freeing my hands to move independently. I quickly unlaced my combat boot and pulled out the hidden ceramic lockpick concealed inside the tongue. It took me less than thirty seconds to bypass the complicated tumblers on both heavy steel cuffs. I crept silently toward the small partition window separating the dark prisoner hold from the driver’s cab. I waited patiently until the heavy transport slowed down to navigate a sharp mountain curve. I kicked the reinforced safety glass with a devastating, concentrated strike that shattered it instantly. I reached through the jagged hole, grabbed the steering wheel, and yanked it violently to the right. The massive transport careened off the paved road, crashing heavily into a deep ditch filled with thick mud. The driver slammed his head against the airbag and was knocked completely unconscious by the brutal impact. I kicked the rear doors open and rolled out into the tall grass just as the trailing convoy slammed on their brakes. I sprinted into the dense woods, vanishing into the heavy morning fog like a ghost before they could fire a single shot. I was now a wanted fugitive, hunted by both corrupt lawmen and the very military I had sworn to serve. I needed to turn the tables on Wade Cain and Agent Vance using the only weapon I had left. I pulled out a burner phone I had stolen from the mercenary and dialed the local news station's direct tip line. A sleepy producer answered the phone, entirely unprepared for the massive story I was about to drop. "I am sending you the location of a billion-dollar illegal lithium mine located directly under the town diner," I whispered.
