Chapter 11 - Asphalt and Thunder
The tires of the sedan screeched against the wet asphalt as the driver jammed the transmission into gear. The vehicle lunged forward, surging toward the curb directly in front of the brownstone.
Elena kicked open the heavy front door, running straight through the freezing rain into the narrow alley beside the building. Cole followed, his boots skidding on the slick cobblestones. Tucked beneath an iron fire escape stood an antique, heavy-frame utility truck—dented, rust-streaked, and solid steel.
Elena jumped into the driver's seat, shoving the key into the ignition and turning it with a prayer. The engine sputtered, coughed, and then roared to life with a deafening rumble.
""Get down!"" Cole shouted, throwing himself into the passenger seat just as a bullet punched through the side mirror, showering the cabin with tempered glass.
Elena slammed the truck into reverse, flooring the gas pedal. The heavy steel rear bumper smashed backward out of the alley mouth, colliding directly into the front quarter-panel of the advancing sedan with a violent crunch of twisting metal.
The sedan spun sideways across the street, its hood buckling upward in a cloud of radiator steam.
Through the shattered rear window of the sedan, Elena saw a small figure bound with duct tape in the backseat. Leo was awake, his wide eyes terrified in the flashing headlights.
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""Get him out!"" Elena screamed, reaching for the door handle.
Before she could open it, the driver of the sedan kicked his door open, stepping out into the rain with an automatic rifle raised.
