Chapter 9 - The Ghost on the Highway
The SUV swallowed the miles, hurtling northward on the interstate toward the Wisconsin border. Inside, the cabin was insulated from the roar of the highway, quiet and dim, lit only by the faint glow of the dashboard electronics.
Maya had finally fallen asleep against my shoulder, exhausted from the terror of the shattered window, while Leo sat quietly beside Adrian, watching the digital speedometer climb higher and higher.
Adrian sat with his elbows resting on his knees, his fingers steepened together, staring intently at a laptop screen displaying a live satellite map of our route.
"We're being tailed," Adrian said softly, without looking up.
My heart skipped a beat. I clutched Maya tighter. "Tailed? How? You said this vehicle was hardened against tracking."
"It is," Adrian replied calmly, though a muscle in his jaw ticked. "Which means they aren't tracking the vehicle's transponder. They're tracking my personal satellite-linked comms beacon. Someone inside the corporate board gave them my backup frequency."
"Who?"
"My chief of operations, Richard Vance," Adrian murmured, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy register. "He’s been running day-to-day operations while I've been searching for you. He always opposed my separation from the board. He must have realized that finding you meant I was walking away from the company for good."
"So your own company is hunting us," I said, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "Wonderful, Adrian. Your entire life is built on knives and backstabbing."
Adrian finally looked up from the screen, his amber eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch. "I built this empire to protect what was mine, Clara. But the only thing I ever truly cared about is sitting right in front of me."
Before I could formulate a response, a sharp, piercing screech of tires echoed from behind us.
May you like
The security operative in the front passenger seat twisted around, his face draining of color. "Sir! Two unmarked black sedans just exited the toll plaza behind us. They've closed the gap to three hundred yards, and they're running without lights!"
Adrian didn't panic. He slammed the laptop shut, reached across the console, and flipped a heavy brass toggle switch on the dashboard. "Initiate counter-measures. Drop smoke and take the rural county exit up ahead."
