Chapter 9
The battered sedan belonging to Father Thomas bounced roughly along the unpaved logging road that wound through the dense pine forest north of the parish district. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Clara sat in the front passenger seat, staring out the rain-streaked window at the dark, looming shapes of the pine trees rushing past. Her hands still bore the faint, bruised imprints of her frantic struggle against the satin-lined interior of the white coffin.
"The federal field office is about forty miles down this highway," Father Thomas said, keeping his eyes fixed on the winding road illuminated by the car’s weak headlights. His black suit jacket lay folded on the back seat, and his white clerical collar had been removed and tucked into the glove box to avoid drawing unwanted attention at any roadside checkpoints.
Leo sat in the back, the wooden mallet resting quietly across his knees like a trusted companion. His mind replayed the terrifying sequence of events from earlier that afternoon over and over again—the suffocating thuds beneath the earth, the frantic swing of the hammer, the wide, terrified eyes staring through the splintered hole in the lid, and the cold, unfeeling gaze of Deacon Miller in the crypt.
"They're going to try to intercept us," Leo said quietly, breaking the heavy silence inside the car. "Miller knows we have the ledger. He won't let us make it to the federal building."
Clara turned slightly in her seat, looking back at her son with a soft, reassuring expression that belied the dark shadows under her eyes. "We're going to make it, Leo. We survived being buried alive. A roadblock on a country road isn't going to stop us now."
Father Thomas glanced into the rearview mirror, offering the teenager a solemn nod of agreement. "Clara is right. The truth has a way of coming to light, no matter how deep someone tries to bury it."
As if summoned by the very words, the harsh glare of high-beam headlights suddenly swept across the rear window of the sedan. A heavy, dark SUV rounded the bend behind them at high speed, closing the distance between the two vehicles with terrifying velocity.
"Hold on!" Father Thomas shouted, slamming his foot down on the accelerator as the engine of the old sedan roared in protest, kicking up a spray of gravel and mud against the undercarriage.
The SUV surged forward, its massive front bumper slamming aggressively into the rear quarter-panel of the sedan with a sickening crunch of metal. The impact sent Father Thomas’s car spinning slightly toward the muddy shoulder of the road, but the priest managed to counter-steer, maintaining control just as they plunged deeper into the shadowy embrace of the forest.
"They're trying to run us off the road!" Leo yelled, bracing himself against the side door as another impact shook the frame of the car violently.
"Look ahead!" Clara pointed sharply through the rain-streaked windshield.
May you like
Emerging from the dense tree line fifty yards ahead was a second black SUV, parked squarely across both lanes of the logging road, blocking their escape route entirely. Two figures in dark tactical jackets stepped out from behind the parked vehicle, their faces obscured by shadows, raising heavy flashlights and signaling for the sedan to halt.
***
