Chapter 14 - The Northern Road
The interstate highway stretched out ahead like a ribbon of black glass under the pale moonlight. Officer Davis drove the unmarked cruiser at high speed, the tires humming rhythmically against the asphalt as they headed north toward the dense pine forests.
Claire sat in the passenger seat, the second black boxing glove resting squarely in her lap. Sophie had fallen asleep in the back seat, her breathing soft and even against the quiet hum of the heater.
“We’re thirty miles out from the cabin,” Davis said, keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “State police have already set up a roadblock at the county line. He has nowhere left to run.”
“He always thinks he has a backup plan, Davis,” Claire said softly, staring out the window at the dark silhouettes of the pine trees rushing past. “He grew up in those woods. He knows every trail, every cabin, every hiding spot.”
“Then we go in on foot if we have to,” Davis replied firmly. “It ends tonight, Claire. For good.”
They pulled off the main highway twenty minutes later, turning onto a narrow, unpaved logging road that wound deep into the heart of the forest. The branches of towering pine trees scraped against the sides of the cruiser, leaving faint white scratches along the dark paint.
The headlights illuminated a rustic wooden cabin half-hidden behind a thick grove of birch trees. A faint column of smoke curled from the stone chimney.
Davis cut the engine and the headlights, plunging them into absolute darkness.
“Stay in the car with Sophie,” Davis whispered, drawing his weapon and opening his door with barely a sound.
Claire nodded, but as soon as Davis slipped into the shadows of the tree line, she turned around and gently unbuckled Sophie, handing her over to Mr. Palmer—who had quietly arrived in a second unmarked vehicle trailing behind them.
“Take her, Mr. Palmer. Keep her safe,” Claire whispered.
“Be careful, Claire,” the old man said, his eyes filled with genuine remorse. “He’s desperate.”
May you like
Claire stepped out of the cruiser into the freezing mountain air, clutching the black boxing glove in her right hand.
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