Chapter 10: The Highway Pursuit
The delivery van fishtailed violently as it hit the asphalt of the main interstate, the wet tires spraying water across the empty lanes. Behind them, the two black SUVs surged through the wreckage of the gate, maintaining a terrifyingly close distance, their high beams washing the interior of the van in stark, harsh white light.
"They're gaining on us!" Arthur shouted, looking through the cracked rearview mirror. The lead SUV was pulling alongside their driver's side, its heavy bumper lining up to sideswipe them off the road.
"Hold on!" Elena yelled, wrenching the steering wheel hard to the left, deliberately slamming the heavy body of the delivery van directly into the side of the pursuing SUV.
The impact sent a jarring shockwave through the cabin, rattling their teeth and causing Lily to let out a frightened cry. The heavy metal grinding against metal produced a shower of orange sparks that danced in the pouring rain. The SUV driver tried to compensate, but the weight of the delivery van held firm, forcing the pursuer to brake suddenly to avoid spinning out across the wet highway.
"That bought us a few seconds, but the engine is overheating!" Elena warned, her eyes darting to the dashboard where the temperature gauge was rapidly climbing into the red zone. Wisps of grey steam were beginning to curl upward from beneath the hood.
Arthur’s mind raced. They couldn't outrun them indefinitely in a vehicle that was literally falling apart. He pulled the encrypted flash drive from his pocket, turning it over in his hand. The corporation wasn't going to stop hunting them as long as this physical piece of hardware existed. But if they couldn't upload it remotely, there was only one alternative left.
"Where is the nearest independent broadcast station?" Arthur asked abruptly, turning to look at Elena.
She shot him a quick, disbelieving glance. "The federal relay tower downtown? Arthur, that place is locked down tighter than a military base. It’s suicide."
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"It’s the only place with an analog transmission override that bypasses their corporate firewall," Arthur insisted, his voice unwavering. "If we plug this directly into their master console, the data goes out on every public broadcast frequency simultaneously. They can't delete it all."
Elena hesitated for only a fraction of a second before nodding grimly. She flicked the blinker, steering the overheating van toward the downtown exit ramp that loomed ahead in the rainy darkness.
