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Chapter 9
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2026-08-06 02:42:11Reid's POV
The elevator doors hadn't fully opened before I forced my way through. "Cam!" Heads turned across the lobby. None of them were Cam. The security guard shot to his feet. "Sir?" "The man who just came through here." I pointed toward the entrance. "Where did he go?" He frowned, thinking. "Dark jacket?" "Yes." "He ran outside." "Damn it." I shoved through the revolving doors as tires screeched somewhere outside. Cam's sedan shot out of the parking lot, weaving between two cars before merging into traffic. "Cam!" He didn't even glance in the mirror. I sprinted to my car, threw myself behind the wheel, and slammed the accelerator to the floor. The engine roared as I blasted through one intersection, then another. At the next light, I spotted his taillights several cars ahead. "Don't do this," I muttered. Cam swerved across three lanes without signaling. A truck leaned on its horn. A silver sedan jerked onto the shoulder to avoid him. "What the hell are you doing?" I stayed on him, close enough not to lose him but far enough to avoid making his reckless driving even worse. My phone connected to the car's speakers. Daniels. I answered without taking my eyes off the road. "What?" "You found him?" "I'm behind him now." "Reid, listen carefully." "I am listening." "No." His voice was strained. "You're not." I frowned. "I just checked the metadata from the backup files." My stomach tightened. "And?" "They weren't copied today." The words barely registered. "What are you talking about?" "They were accessed forty-eight hours ago." Silence settled over the car. "That's impossible." "I thought so too." Ahead, Cam suddenly veered onto the highway exit. I followed without hesitation. Daniels continued, "Someone already knew those files existed." If he was right, then whoever wanted those files hadn't started hunting today. They'd been ahead of us the entire time. A black SUV slipped into the gap between Cam's car and mine. I frowned. It hadn't been there a second ago. I changed lanes. So did the SUV. I accelerated. It matched my speed. "Daniels..." "What?" "I think we're being followed." Before he could answer, the SUV surged forward. Its front bumper slammed into the rear of Cam's sedan. "Cam!" His car lurched sideways. The tires screamed against the asphalt as the sedan fishtailed once... Twice... Then it spun out of control. It smashed through the guardrail. For one horrifying heartbeat, the car vanished over the edge. My foot slammed on the brake. Rubber screamed against the asphalt as my car skidded onto the shoulder. I shoved the door open before the engine had even died. "Call 911!" I yelled at the drivers beginning to pull over. No one moved. "For God's sake, call!" I vaulted the guardrail. Loose gravel shifted beneath my feet, sending me sliding down the steep embankment. Branches tore at my jacket as rocks rolled under my boots. Then I saw it. Cam's sedan had slammed nose-first into a cluster of trees. Steam hissed from the crumpled hood. One shattered headlight flickered weakly before fading into darkness. "Cam!" I stumbled the last few yards, my pulse pounding in my ears. The windshield was cracked through in every direction. The driver's airbag hung limp... Stained with blood. Too much blood. "Cam! Answer me!" Nothing. I grabbed the driver's door and pulled. It refused to budge. "Come on..." Planting one foot against the frame, I heaved with everything I had. Metal shrieked. The door finally gave way. I froze. The driver's seat was empty. "What...?" My eyes dropped to the seatbelt. It hadn't snapped. It had been sliced clean through. Cut. This wasn't just a car accident. I scanned the wreckage. Blood streaked the steering wheel. More soaked the driver's seat. But there was no body. No drag marks. Only a trail of crushed weeds disappearing into the woods. Someone had left here. And not long ago. A ringtone shattered the silence. I spun around. The sound came from beneath the passenger seat. I reached inside and pulled out Cam's phone. Its screen was cracked, but it was still glowing. Unknown Number. A message appeared. DON'T FOLLOW HIM. My pulse quickened. Another message flashed across the screen. HE WAS NEVER YOUR TARGET. A branch snapped behind me. I turned sharply. "Who's there?" Only the wind answered, rustling the trees. Then, another snap. Closer. I slipped the phone into my pocket and backed away from the wreck. "Show yourself!" Silence. A figure emerged from behind a massive oak. Black clothes. Black baseball cap. His face was hidden beneath the brim. Only the handgun aimed squarely at my chest was unmistakable. "So..." he said, his voice calm. "You're Reid Calloway." Every instinct screamed at me to move. I threw myself sideways. A gunshot exploded through the trees. But it hadn't come from the man in front of me. His eyes widened. Blood burst across his shoulder. He cried out, stumbling backward as his handgun spun from his grasp and disappeared into the undergrowth. Another shot echoed through the forest. The man collapsed to one knee. I looked up instinctively. At the top of the embankment stood a lone silhouette, rifle still raised. Too far away to make out a face. Too still to recognize. For one suspended heartbeat... We stared at each other. Then the stranger lowered the weapon... Turned... And vanished into the forest. Behind me, the wounded gunman let out a weak laugh. "You're..." he rasped, blood staining his lips, "...already too late." Before I could grab him, his eyes rolled back. The distant roar of approaching engines shattered the silence. Black SUVs raced toward the crash site.
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