Chapter 8 - Collision Course
The black SUV roared across the concrete floor like a runaway freight train, its engine screaming a mechanical war cry in the enclosed subterranean parking garage. Daniel slammed his foot down on the accelerator, the rear tires of his sedan spinning furiously against the slick oil-stained pavement before catching traction and lunging backward into the shadows.
Sarah screamed, bracing her hands hard against the dashboard as the massive SUV missed their front bumper by mere inches, crashing instead into a concrete support pillar with a deafening metallic screech. Dust and shattered headlight glass exploded across the floor, filling the air with the acrid scent of burning rubber and hot radiator fluid.
Daniel didn't hesitate. He threw the transmission into drive, swerving hard around the stalled SUV while keeping his eyes pinned on the garage exit ramp up ahead.
Lily cried out from the backseat, holding tightly onto the grab handle above the door.
“Daddy, are we going to crash?”
Daniel shouted back over the roar of his engine, his voice tight with adrenaline.
“No, sweetie! We're getting out of here right now!”
They burst out of the subterranean garage into the blinding midday Seattle sunlight, tires squealing as Daniel straightened the wheel and merged into the flowing downtown traffic. He checked the rearview mirror repeatedly, half-expecting the ruined black SUV to crawl out after them, but the garage entrance quickly receded into the distance, swallowed by the morning city crowd.
Sarah let out a ragged, uneven breath, her hands still shaking as she clutched her smartphone to her chest.
“That wasn't just a threat, Daniel. That was an assassination attempt. Julian isn't just trying to steal your company; he's trying to eliminate you permanently.”
Daniel kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, navigating through the dense traffic using the GPS coordinates her brother had sent moments earlier. The anger inside him had evolved into a cold, lethal focus that left no room for hesitation or fear.
Daniel spoke quietly, his voice like grinding ice.
“He underestimated how far I'm willing to go to protect what's mine. That warehouse is only ten minutes away. Tell your brother to have the federal contact ready to move the second we ping the server.”
Sarah nodded frantically, her fingers flying across her screen as she relayed the updated instructions to her sibling.
Ten minutes later, the sleek black sedan turned down a decaying industrial side street lined with rusted shipping containers and abandoned warehouses. The area was eerily deserted, a stark contrast to the bustling downtown core they had just left behind.
Daniel pulled the car to a stop behind a row of rusted dumpsters a hundred yards away from the designated warehouse address. The building was a massive, windowless brick structure with a single heavy steel loading door at the side. A familiar black SUV—identical to the one that had tried to crush them in the garage—was parked haphazardly right by the entrance.
Daniel turned off the ignition, killing the headlights and plunging the car into silence.
Daniel turned back to look at Lily in the backseat, his expression softening despite the grim situation.
“Listen to me very carefully, Lily. You stay locked in this car. No matter what you hear or see outside, do not unlock these doors for anyone except me or Sarah. Do you understand?”
Lily bit her lower lip, nodding reluctantly with large, brave eyes.
May you like
“I understand, Daddy. Please be careful.”
---
