Chapter 7 - The Burner Phone Connection
The burner phone screen cast an eerie blue glow across Emily’s face as she stared at the sequence of numbers. In the back seat, little Julian had finally fallen asleep, his head resting heavily against Leo’s shoulder, while Toby and Marcus stared blankly out the window at the endless stretch of pine trees rushing past.
"Well?" Agent Miller said, keeping his eyes fixed on the empty highway ahead. "Are you going to make the call, or are you just going to stare at it until Vance's security detail catches up to us?"
Emily swallowed her hesitation, pressed the call button, and held the phone to her ear. It rang twice before a sharp, no-nonsense female voice answered on the other line.
"Report," the woman commanded without a greeting.
"My name is Emily. Agent Miller gave me this number," Emily said, pitching her voice to remain steady. "I have the brown suitcase. The financial ledgers, the offshore transfer records, and the medical cover-up files from the Vance estate."
There was a brief, pregnant pause on the line. The sound of typing could be heard in the background, fast and rhythmic.
"Do you have the children?" the woman asked, her tone softening just a fraction.
"Yes. All four boys are with me. They’re bruised, but alive," Emily replied, glancing back to ensure Toby wasn't waking up.
"Listen to me very carefully, Emily," the woman on the phone said, her voice dropping to a serious, urgent register. "You cannot bring those boys to any public federal building or local precinct. Richard Vance has deep ties to the regional field office. The moment you walk through those doors, a red flag goes up, and a cleanup crew will be dispatched to secure the 'assets'—and that includes you and the children."
Emily felt the blood drain from her face. "Then where do we meet? We can't stay on this highway forever. Miller’s SUV is going to be spotted on traffic cameras soon."
"Drive north past the state line," the woman instructed. "Take exit 44 toward the old abandoned quarry. There is a rusted water tower at the end of the access road. Wait by the base of the tower. I’ll send a secure transport team to meet you there in exactly forty-five minutes. Do not trust anyone else."
Before Emily could ask another question, the line went dead with a sharp click.
She lowered the phone slowly, her mind racing. She looked up and met Miller’s gaze in the rearview mirror.
"Well?" Miller asked. "Did she give us a drop point?"
"Exit 44, the old quarry," Emily said. "Forty-five minutes. But she warned us that Richard has federal contacts too. We're not safe even if we reach the authorities."
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Miller let out a dark, knowing laugh. "Figured as much. That’s why we’re going to take a detour before we hit the quarry."
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