Chapter 13 - THE SHADOW IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR
The sound of sirens didn't bring relief this time; they brought panic.
Within twenty minutes, three squad cars were parked diagonally across Daniel’s front lawn, red and blue lights painting the trees in jagged strokes of crimson and sapphire. Detective Miller stood in the kitchen, his heavy trench coat dripping rainwater onto the tile, replaying File 24 on his department tablet.
Ethan and Lily sat on the living room sofa, wrapped together in a fleece blanket. Winston was planted firmly between them, his golden ears perked, a low, constant rumble vibrating in his throat. Ethan’s eyes were wide, hollow, and fixed on his father. He didn't ask questions. He didn't cry. That was what broke Daniel’s heart the most—Ethan had already learned to expect terror as an ordinary condition of existence.
"The lock on your back sliding door was shimmed," Miller said, turning the tablet screen off. "Professional job. No fingerprints on the door, no DNA on the porch box. The thumb drive was bought for cash at an electronics surplus store in Chicago six months ago."
"And the key?" Daniel asked, pointing at the silver locker key on the counter. "Storage Unit 414?"
"Belongs to a facility off Interstate 80. Registered under a shell company called 'Vanguard Logistics,'" Miller replied, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I’ve got a team rolling out there now. Daniel, we need to move you and the kids to a safe house."
"No," Daniel said immediately.
"Daniel, you don't understand who Evelyn really is," Miller said, lowering his voice so the children wouldn't hear. "Her real name isn't Evelyn Vance. It’s Clarissa Montgomery. Five years ago, in Pennsylvania, she was investigated for the suspicious drowning of her first husband and his eight-year-old son. She walked away with three million dollars because the key witness disappeared before trial."
Daniel felt the air leave his lungs. "The boy... Ethan’s age?"
"Exactly Ethan’s age," Miller said grimly. "And the man who helped her dispose of the evidence back then was her biological brother, Julian Montgomery. Julian is ex-private military. He does contract security, tactical recovery, and wet work. He’s the one who took down that transport van tonight."
From the sofa, Lily suddenly whimpered.
Daniel turned. Lily was pointing a small, shaking finger toward the front window. "Daddy... the black car is back."
Daniel rushed to the living room window, pushing past two uniformed officers. Across the street, parked directly beneath the shadowy canopy of an overgrown oak tree, was a black Chevy Suburban. Its headlights were off, but its engine was running—pale plumes of exhaust curled into the freezing rain.
As Daniel watched, the high beams of the Suburban flashed twice.
May you like
Then, the vehicle put itself in reverse, turned sharply at the intersection, and accelerated into the darkness, vanishing before the patrol cars parked on the lawn could even shift into gear.
***
