Chapter 38: The Chase Through the Rain
Chapter 38: The Chase Through the Rain
The first black SUV rolled to a stop only twenty yards from the abandoned platform.
Its headlights cut through the darkness like searchlights.
Rain began falling again, turning the cracked concrete into a sheet of shimmering reflections.
David Ellis instinctively stepped backward.
His breathing became uneven.
"They're not here to talk," he whispered.
Arthur placed a steady hand on his shoulder.
"Stay behind us."
Rebecca Lawson had already reached inside her jacket.
With one smooth motion, she displayed her federal badge.
"Federal Bureau of Investigation!"
Her voice echoed through the empty station.
"Do not come any closer."
The men paused.
There were six of them.
None wore uniforms.
None displayed identification.
The tallest among them smiled coldly.
"We're only here to retrieve company property."
He pointed toward David's backpack.
"Those documents belong to GreenStone."
Rebecca never lowered her badge.
"If that's true, your attorneys can discuss it with the court."
The man took another step.
"I don't think we'll wait that long."
At the same moment, Marcus quietly pressed the emergency alert button hidden inside his phone.
The signal went directly to two FBI surveillance units waiting several miles away.
They wouldn't arrive immediately.
But they were coming.
Tyler whispered,
"How long?"
Rebecca answered without taking her eyes off the approaching men.
"Five minutes."
Marcus forced a smile.
"That suddenly feels like a very long time."
The leader nodded toward two men standing beside him.
Without another word, they spread out, attempting to surround the platform.
Arthur immediately understood.
"They're cutting off our exits."
David's face turned pale.
"They've done this before."
Rebecca glanced toward Dylan.
"The evidence."
Dylan nodded once.
Without hesitation, he quietly removed the flash drives from David's backpack and slipped them inside the lining of his raincoat.
If the bag was taken...
The most important evidence would still survive.
Arthur noticed.
A small smile crossed his face.
William Harrison had often said:
"Protect the truth before you protect your victory."
Dylan had done exactly that.
The tension broke in an instant.
One of the men lunged toward David.
Marcus reacted first.
He stepped sideways and shoved the attacker away before the man could reach the backpack.
The stranger stumbled across the wet pavement.
Another rushed toward Tyler.
Tyler blocked him with his forearm and pushed him backward, creating just enough space for David to move behind Rebecca.
No punches were thrown.
No one tried to escalate the confrontation.
Their only goal was escape.
The leader's expression hardened.
"Take the bag!"
Three more men charged forward.
Arthur grabbed David by the arm.
"Run!"
They sprinted toward the eastern platform while Rebecca remained behind for a moment, speaking into her radio.
"Federal units, this is Lawson."
"We have hostile suspects attempting to seize evidence."
"Riverside Train Station."
"Request immediate assistance."
The reply came almost instantly.
"Units en route."
Estimated arrival:
Three minutes.
Rain poured harder.
Shoes splashed through puddles as everyone raced along the abandoned tracks.
Behind them came the sound of footsteps.
"They're gaining!" Ethan shouted.
Thomas Briggs suddenly pointed toward an old maintenance tunnel beneath the station.
"This way!"
"I remember this place."
"It connects to the service road."
Without hesitation, everyone followed him.
The tunnel was narrow and dark.
Water dripped steadily from the cracked ceiling.
David struggled to catch his breath.
"They'll trap us."
"No," Thomas replied.
"They don't know this tunnel exists."
For a brief moment, it seemed he was right.
The footsteps faded.
Silence returned.
Then...
A metallic clang echoed behind them.
Marcus turned.
"They found another entrance."
The chase resumed.
Rebecca looked over her shoulder.
"Keep moving!"
Arthur noticed David slowing down.
The years of living in fear had taken their toll.
He could barely keep pace.
Without saying a word, Arthur took the heavy backpack from David's shoulders.
"I can carry it."
David shook his head.
"It's too important."
"Exactly."
Arthur tightened the straps across his shoulders.
"So now it stays with me."
They finally reached the end of the tunnel.
Fresh air rushed toward them.
Only fifty yards away stood the service road.
Freedom.
Just as they emerged, bright blue lights flashed across the rain-soaked pavement.
Police vehicles.
FBI SUVs.
Additional agents poured from every direction.
Rebecca raised her badge.
"Federal agents!"
"Stand down!"
The men chasing them stopped abruptly.
For several seconds, no one moved.
Then the leader quietly raised both hands.
His expression remained strangely calm.
Almost confident.
Rebecca frowned.
"Detain them."
Agents moved quickly, securing every suspect.
Marcus finally allowed himself to breathe.
"It's over."
Arthur wasn't convinced.
"No."
He looked at the leader.
"Something's wrong."
Rebecca approached the man.
"Name?"
The stranger smiled.
"My lawyer advised me not to answer questions."
She searched his pockets.
No wallet.
No driver's license.
No phone.
Nothing identifying him.
Every man detained carried the same absence of identification.
Professional.
Prepared.
Rebecca's instincts immediately sharpened.
She looked directly into the leader's eyes.
"Who sent you?"
The man smiled again.
"I think you already know."
Arthur stepped forward.
"Victor Langford?"
The smile disappeared.
Only for a fraction of a second.
But Arthur saw it.
That tiny reaction told him more than any confession could.
Rebecca saw it too.
"He knows Langford."
The man remained silent.
Just then, one of the FBI agents hurried toward Rebecca carrying a sealed evidence bag.
"Agent Lawson."
"We found this inside the lead SUV."
Rebecca opened it carefully.
Inside lay a printed photograph.
Everyone gathered around.
It showed David Ellis leaving the Harrison Foundation...
Three days earlier.
He had been under surveillance long before tonight.
Taped to the back of the photograph was a handwritten message.
Only five words.
Find him before they do.
No signature.
No explanation.
Arthur slowly turned the photograph over in his hands.
Someone else...
Someone still hidden...
Had been trying to protect David.
May you like
And whoever that person was...
They clearly knew the conspiracy reached much farther than Victor Langford alone.
