Page 98 of Matrix

“No. I won’t stop until he faces justice. If you won’t help me, then I know who will.”

“Walk away, Daisy. If you get caught up with those bikers, they’ll ruin your life even more than they already have. Find a new career, something far away from law enforcement and outlaws.”

“Thanks for your oh-so-helpful advice.” I break eye contact because I can’t even stand to look at him anymore. He was my mentor for years, but he’s completely turned his back on me. It feels like I’m living a nightmare. But it’s all too real.

As soon as we get back to the FBI office, I don’t even wait for the SUV to stop. I push the door open and get out with Angie right behind me.

“That asshole was your boss?” Angie tosses a look back over her shoulder.

“Yeah, but not anymore.”

“I’m sorry you lost your job.”

“I’m not.” I open the passenger door of my compact car and motion for her to get in.“Come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“I don’t know yet. Anywhere but here.”

Angie nods and slides into the seat. She’s quiet as I drive us out of the parking lot and onto the main road. I can’t imagine how devastated she must be right now. She needs time to process everything that happened today, and so do I. With that in mind, I head up the mountain toward one of our favorite hiking spots, a beautiful trail that encircles a large pond. When I need to get clear about what’s going on in my head, I walk around it until I get clarity. After everything that happened at Blackstone’s, I need to take a long walk through the woods.

As I navigate a curve in the road, I notice a black SUV following us. It’s getting a little too close for comfort, which is super annoying. Vale probably sent an agent to follow us. He wants to find out if I’m going back to Underground Vengeance.Asshole.

The road straightens. I press the gas pedal to increase the distance between us and the SUV on our tail. Trying to lose the other driver on this road is pointless. It’s too dangerous. It doesn’t even have side rails to prevent cars from sailing over the edge, so I need to focus. I can get rid of them later when the road is less treacherous.

Going into the next twist in the road, the SUV lurches forward, slamming into the back of my car. A shockwave blasts through my body as the realization hits. The person behind us isn’t with the FBI, which means Blackstone sent them. I’d bet my life on it. Whoever’s back there isn’t trying to follow us; they’re trying to kill us.

“Hold on!” I glance at Angie to make sure she has her seatbelt on. She does.

I swerve closer to the mountain to avoid the steep drop-off on the other side of the road. My hands are slick with sweat, but I manage to keep hold of the wheel. The car skids around the turn, kicking up gravel in its wake. Taking the curve too tightly, I scrape against protruding rocks. A cacophony of screeching metal fills the air while friction slows us down.

“He’s gaining on us!” Angie yells.

“Shit!”

I gun the engine as the road twists like a snake. The relentless hum of my pursuer’s vehicle overpowers the sound of blood pounding through my ears. Gravel crunches beneath the tires as I fishtail around each bend. My heart races as I try to outrun the other vehicle. Every time I think I’m getting away, the guy behind us closes in again. It’s almost as if he’s taunting me.

I refuse to give in to despair, but I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to keep this up. Each turn brings a new set of dangers, from sheer drop-offs and hidden ravines to the sharp corners that force me to slow down and take a careful line. The fear of plunging off the side of the mountain into oblivion is far greater than my anxiety about the SUV behind me. If I make it to a spot where I can turn and fight our attacker, we might have a chance. But if we fly off the mountain, then we’re dead. I’m not going to let that happen.

The sound of our pursuer’s engine gets even louder. I can feel his presence behind me like a stalker. I press forward, pushing my car faster as I skid into another turn. The SUV clips my rear bumper, sending us into a half-spin. I attempt to recover, but it’s impossible. I’m hurdling toward the edge of the mountain, and there’s not a damn thing I can do to stop it. We’re not going to make it.

Angie’s scream joins mine as we plunge over the edge into the abyss. The car floats through the air, weightless for several seconds, before slamming into the ground.

Everything goes black.

Chapter 24: Matrix

I’ve been riding my bike for hours, but the pervasive sense of dread I’ve had since leaving the clubhouse is still with me. Something feels wrong. It’s not just the fact that Daisy left me; there’s more to it. A sense of foreboding follows me through each twist and turn on the mountain road I know so well. I don’t know what’s happening, but I need to figure it out.

Earlier, I stopped long enough to hack into the local FBI office’s computers. Normally, I steer clear of the Feds, but I wanted an update on Blackstone. Around ten last night, they got a warrant. They were planning on serving it this morning, but I haven’t checked for updates. I should be elated because Blackstone can’t run this time. But I’m not. It’s almost as if I know it won’t be this easy. I chalk it up to my anxiety. However, I can’t help but wonder how things are going.

I pull off the asphalt into a dirt turnout. There’s still a smattering of snow against the north-facing mountainside where the sun rarely shines. Other than that, the road is clear. It’s a perfect day for riding. I wish I could enjoy it without worrying about Daisy and her sister.

After sliding my phone out of my cut, I pull up the tracer program I left behind when I hacked the Feds. It’s set to notify me of any correspondence related to Blackstone. Five alerts pop up on the screen. I open the first one and almost can’t believe what I’m reading. They served the warrant, but they didn’t find shit.

No dungeon. No cages. Nothing.

The sick fuck must have cleared it out before the FBI arrived. Hell, he probably got rid of everything months ago. If he’s back to trafficking kids, holding victims at his house would be a stupid move anyway. He’d be a fool to keep them that close. He’s probably hiding them somewhere else. Or he’s paying the cartel to move the kids for him. That’s the most likely option.

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