BENEATH THE VEIL OF ASHES AND BLOOD

""Buckle up,"" Victor said calmly, sliding into the driver’s seat and slamming the door shut.

He threw the heavy SUV into reverse, stomping on the accelerator just as high-caliber rounds shattered the vehicle's rear windshield. Glass rained over Julianna, who shrieked and buried her head between her knees.

""Stay down!"" Clara shouted, leaning across the center console to pull Julianna further onto the floorboards.

Victor spun the steering wheel with violent precision. The SUV whipped around 180 degrees, tires tearing into the wet turf before gripping the asphalt of the narrow service road. In the rearview mirror, three armored Escalades were accelerating down the hill, their steel bull bars gleaming in the rain.

""They aren't feds,"" Victor muttered, pulling a tactical submachine gun from beneath his seat and tossing it into Clara’s lap. ""Marcus called in the family cleaning crew. They can't let any of us reach the county line alive.""

""Where are we going?"" Julianna wept, her fingers digging into the upholstery. ""They have guns! They’re going to kill us all!""

""Boston,"" Clara said, checking the magazine of the weapon Victor had handed her with practiced efficiency. ""Arthur Reed’s estate attorney. If we can get the original corporate registry verified before the market opens at eight in the morning, Marcus loses everything.""

A heavy impact slammed into their rear bumper. The SUV fishtailed violently across the slick road, narrowly missing a concrete retaining wall that bordered the steep ravine below.

The lead Escalade pulled alongside them, its tinted passenger window rolling down to reveal a masked gunman raising a rifle.

Clara didn't hesitate. She rolled down her window, leaned into the freezing wind, and fired a controlled three-round burst into the front tire of the pursuing vehicle.

The Escalade's front tire blew out with a violent bang. The heavy SUV spun out of control, flipping twice before crashing into the rock face in an eruption of sparks and metal.