Chapter 9
The sound of the trailer truck’s tires humming against the road was the only thing cutting through the heavy silence. My mind raced as I watched the faint red and blue lights fading in the distance through the window. We had narrowly escaped again, but I knew it was temporary.
“I can’t keep doing this,” I muttered, my voice barely audible.
Daniel, seated beside me, turned his head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I met his sharp gaze. “It means I need to get out of here. You‘ re all risking your lives.
because of me.”
His jaw tightened, and before he could speak, Sue interjected from the back. “Maybe she’s right. Let her go if that’s
what she wants.”
Daniel shot her a glare that could‘ ve pierced steel. “No one is leaving,” he said.
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firmly. “Not unless I say so.”
1 exhaled sharply. “This isn‘ t your decision, Daniel. The police are after me. If 1 stay, they’ll catch all of us eventually.”
Daniel leaned closer, his eyes intense. “Do you think running off on your own will solve anything? They‘ ll find you faster than you can say goodbye. This isn’t just about you anymore, Daphne. We‘ re a
team now.”
“We’re not a team,” I snapped. “You dragged me into this. I didn’t ask for your help.”
“And yet you re alive because of it,” he fired back.
“Enough, Sue cut in.” If she wants to leave, let her. We’re better off without dead
weight.”
I flinched at her words, but Daniel silenced. her with a harsh, “Stay out of it, Sue.”
His voice softened as he turned back to me.
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“Listen, Daphne. No one’s leaving. Not you, not anyone. If we start splitting up, we’ll all fall apart. And I won’t let that happen.”
I looked at him, my resolve wavering. His determination was unwavering, but I still felt like a weight dragging them down.
“Fine,” I said finally.” But if things go south because of me-
“They won’t,” he interrupted. “Trust me.”
The tension lingered, but no one spoke as Blake took the wheel, driving us deeper into Germany. The hours passed slowly, the rising sun painting the horizon in muted orange and pink hues.
When we finally arrived at what looked like
da
an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts an
of a small town, Daniel led us inside. I expected a dingy, empty space, but instead, a hidden door led us underground.
The basement was a stark contrast to the dusty exterior. The walls were lined with.
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glowing computer monitors, maps, and blueprints. Wires crisscrossed the floor, and a table in the center was piled with papers and devices I didn’t recognize.
“What is this place?” I asked, my voice echoing slightly.
“Home base,” Daniel said, flipping a switch that illuminated the entire room.
The others moved about, unpacking supplies and checking equipment, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the screens. One in particular caught my attention–a photo of Victor Salvani.
I froze. “Why is he still up there?”
Daniel followed my gaze, his expression unreadable. “He was our target.”
I turned to him, my chest tightening. “Was?”
“Until you killed him,” he said simply.
The room fell silent. Everyone turned to look at me, their eyes filled with a mixture
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of curiosity and unease.
“That’s why we came to get you,” Daniel continued. “We needed to figure out what happened and why you did it.”
I crossed my arms defensively. “I didn‘ t have a choice. He deserved it.”
“I’m not saying he didn’t,” Daniel said. “But his death leaves a power vacuum. His associates, his rivals–they’ll come out of the woodwork now. And we need to be
ready.”
Before I could respond, a loud beep echoed from one of the monitors. The screen
flashed to life, displaying a breaking news
broadcast.
We all gathered around as the anchor spoke. “Breaking news: Daphne Rodriguez, the alleged assassin of CEO Victor Salvani, has escaped from custody. Authorities believe she is accompanied by a group of wanted individuals, including several high- profile fugitives.”
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My face appeared on the screen first, followed by Daniel‘ s, Sue‘ s, Blake‘ s, Chlyrus s, and Calix‘ s. The images were grainy but clear enough to identify us.
“We re screwed,” Sue muttered, her arms crossed.
Blake ran a hand through his hair. “They know exactly who we are.”
I stared at the screen, my stomach sinking. “There’s no way out,” I whispered.
Daniel stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the broadcast. “We’ll find a way. We always do.”
“But this?” I said, gesturing at the screen. “This is different. They‘ re plastering our faces everywhere. They’ll hunt us down like animals.”
Daniel turned to face me, his expression calm but firm. “We‘ ve been through worse. We’ll figure it out.”
I wasn’t sure if his confidence was
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genuine or just a facade, but it didn’t matter. The weight of what I’d done and what we were up against pressed down on me like a vice.
And as the news continued to play, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get a whole lot worse.
