Chapter 22 - THE PURSUIT THROUGH THE ALLEYWAY
Daniel didn't hesitate. He pivoted sharply and dashed down a narrow pedestrian alleyway that cut between two old brick buildings, his heavy boots slapping loudly against the wet pavement. The roar of city traffic faded behind him, replaced by the heavy, rapid thudding of his own footsteps and the distant, crunching sound of rubber tires accelerating on the asphalt behind the alley entrance.
They were hunting him. The realization settled into his chest like a lead weight. Victor might have been behind bars, and the federal task force might have closed the official investigation, but the invisible machine that had built a life on lies, manipulation, and buried bodies was still fully operational—and it considered Daniel a loose end that needed to be tied off permanently.
He turned a sharp corner into a dead-end maintenance courtyard, cursing under his breath as he realized his mistake. A ten-foot-tall brick wall blocked his path, topped with coiled barbed wire. Before he could turn back, heavy footsteps echoed at the mouth of the courtyard.
Two men in identical charcoal-grey suits stepped into view, blocking the exit. Their movements were cold, synchronized, and utterly devoid of human warmth. The lead man reached inside his suit jacket, his hand resting casually against the outline of a heavy firearm.
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"End of the line, Mr. Vance," the lead man said, his voice flat and robotic. "Hand over the drive, and this can end quickly. Fight back, and you become just another unsolved statistic in this city's endless archive."
Daniel’s hand curled tightly around the black USB flash drive in his pocket. He looked around frantically for an escape, his mind racing through every possible scenario. There was no way out—unless he made one.
