Chapter 13 - Bullet on the Bypass
The loud crack of a high-powered rifle echoed across the asphalt, followed instantly by the terrifying sound of the rear windshield shattering into a million tiny, sparkling pieces of glass. Clara screamed, throwing her body over Maya to shield the infant with her own flesh as glass shards rained down over them like lethal hail.
“Duck!” Julianna shrieked from the front seat, pressing her head down near the dashboard as Evelyn slammed her foot flat against the accelerator, sending the sedan surging forward at a reckless speed.
“Are you hit?” Evelyn yelled over the roar of the engine, her face pale as a ghost as she frantically checked her rearview mirror.
“We’re okay! Just keep driving!” Clara shouted back, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped animal. She carefully lifted her head, brushing stray pieces of safety glass off Maya’s thick blanket. Miraculously, the baby was still breathing steadily, though startled and whimpering softly from the sudden noise.
The black SUV was right behind them now, closing the distance with terrifying speed, its powerful engine roaring as it wove recklessly through the sparse morning traffic on the old highway bypass. The elevated stretch of road offered no cover—just concrete barriers on either side and a sheer drop down to the concrete riverbed below.
“They’re gaining on us!” Julianna yelled, pointing out the side window as the SUV pulled up alongside their driver’s side, trying to force Evelyn’s sedan toward the concrete median.
Evelyn gritted her teeth, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the steering wheel with absolute fury. “Not today, you bastards,” she muttered under her breath, turning the wheel hard to the left and ramming the side of her sedan directly into the front quarter-panel of the pursuing SUV.
The sound of grinding metal and screeching rubber filled the air. The SUV swerved, its driver fighting to maintain control as it scraped violently against the concrete barrier, sending a cascade of orange sparks flying into the air.
“Hold on!” Clara warned, bracing herself against the back of the front seat as Evelyn slammed the brakes just enough to let the SUV careen past them, spinning out across two lanes before slamming nose-first into a highway maintenance truck parked on the shoulder.
The collision was catastrophic, sending a plume of white smoke and debris billowing into the sky. Evelyn kept her foot down, rocketing past the wreckage and taking the off-ramp toward the downtown financial center before the authorities or any secondary syndicate vehicles could intercept them.
As the skyline of the city loomed ahead, Julianna turned around in her seat, her face etched with exhaustion and profound relief. “We’re almost there. The central data archive is right behind the main plaza. That’s where Daniel hid the master decryption keys.”
May you like
Clara looked down at Maya, who had finally quieted down, her tiny hand gripping the edge of her blanket. “Let’s finish this,” Clara said firmly.
---
