Chapter 13 - The Escape Vehicle
The engine of the delivery truck sputtered to life with a loud, protesting cough as Frank slammed his foot down on the accelerator.
"Hold on!" Frank roared, throwing the manual gearshift into reverse just as a burst of suppressed gunfire pinged off the rear metal panel of the truck, leaving a neat row of bullet holes across the cargo doors.
Mrs. Gable screamed, pulling Evan down onto the floorboards of the passenger seat as the truck jerked backward, tires screeching against the polished concrete floor of the underground garage.
Frank spun the steering wheel hard, shifting into drive and flooring the gas pedal. The delivery truck surged forward, heading straight up the concrete exit ramp toward the open security gates of the school compound.
Ahead of them, the heavy steel security gate was still lowered, reinforced by a flashing red barricade light.
"Frank, the gate is locked!" Mrs. Gable cried out from the floorboards, gripping the dashboard for dear life.
"Not for this truck it isn't!" Frank yelled back.
He didn't slow down. Instead, he gripped the steering wheel with absolute resolve and drove the delivery truck straight through the center of the reinforced aluminum security gate.
Crash!
The metal barrier folded instantly under the massive weight of the vehicle, snapping clean off its electronic hinges as the truck burst out of the subterranean compound and onto the quiet suburban street outside.
Frank kept his foot pressed firmly on the gas, navigating the winding neighborhood roads before turning sharply down a dense, tree-lined side street that offered natural cover from aerial drones.
After driving for several blocks without seeing any sign of pursuit, Frank finally eased up on the accelerator, pulling the truck to a quiet stop beneath the heavy canopy of an ancient oak tree in a deserted residential park.
He let out a long, shuddering breath, cutting the engine and dropping his head against the steering wheel for a brief second to steady his nerves.
Evan slowly sat up from the floorboards, brushing dust off his gray and black hoodie. He looked out the cracked passenger window at the peaceful, unsuspecting neighborhood houses around them. "Are... are we safe now, Mr. Frank?"
"For right now, yes," Frank said, lifting his head and looking at the boy in the rearview mirror. "They lost our direct GPS signal when we broke through the local relay grid. But they know what vehicle we're in."
Mrs. Gable sat up, smoothing down her torn maroon shirt, her face pale but composed. "Frank, where do we go? We can't go back to the school, and we can't go home. Those men... they're working for someone powerful enough to shut down an entire municipal security grid."
"We don't go home," Frank said firmly, reaching down to pick up the battered analog pocket radio from his tool belt. He flicked the dial to a secure emergency frequency. "We go to the federal marshal's field office three towns over. They're the only ones outside Apex's jurisdiction."
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As Frank raised the radio to his ear, the device suddenly crackled to life on its own, emitting a burst of static followed by a cold, familiar synthesized voice that froze everyone in the cab.
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