Chapter 8 - The Ambush on the Parkway
“Don’t listen to him, Daniel!” Marcus urged, reaching for his weapon. “We need to move Leo to the secure compound in Highland Park right now.”
*“Highland Park?”* Victor’s raspy voice chuckled over the speaker, ending in a violent coughing fit. *“You think your private security can stop me? Take the parkway, Daniel. Bring the boy. Or the entire city will watch the dashcam footage of Claire begging for her life on every news broadcast within the hour.”*
The call went dead.
Daniel didn't hesitate. “Marcus, transfer Julianna to the detectives immediately. We take the armored SUV. We get Leo out of the downtown core right now.”
Five minutes later, Daniel, Leo, and Marcus were inside the reinforced black Suburban, speeding through the rainy streets of the city. Leo sat in the back, buckled tightly, his eyes wide as he looked at his father.
“Dad? Is the bad man at our house?”
“No, buddy,” Daniel said, trying to steady his voice while checking the side mirrors. “We’re going somewhere safe. Nobody is going to hurt you. I swear on my life.”
Marcus was driving, taking the western bypass toward the secure facility. But as they merged onto the elevated parkway overlooking the industrial harbor, Marcus suddenly swore.
“Daniel, we’ve got company.”
Behind them, two heavy utility trucks barreled onto the highway, disregarding the lanes and rapidly closing the distance. Their grilles were reinforced with steel push-bars.
“Hold on!” Marcus yelled, slamming the accelerator.
The Suburban surged forward, but the lead truck aggressively swerved into their blind spot, slamming hard into the rear quarter-panel. Metal screeched against metal, sending sparks flying across the wet asphalt. Leo screamed, curling into a ball in the backseat.
“Hold on, Leo!” Daniel shouted, reaching back with one arm to shield his son while drawing a concealed firearm from under his tuxedo jacket.
May you like
The second truck swerved ahead, attempting to box them in against the concrete median. Marcus expertly tapped the brakes, executing a tactical maneuver that caused the trailing truck to clip the guardrail, spinning out in a shower of debris.
But as they cleared the first roadblock, the lead truck swung sideways, blocking the narrow off-ramp entirely.
