Chapter 9 - The Ambush at Midnight
“They’re here,” Clara gasped, her face turning pale as she grabbed Richard’s arm with surprising strength. “Her private security—they track everyone who comes near me!” Heavy blows slammed against the apartment door, the wood splintering around the deadbolt as professional enforcers tried to force their way inside. Richard didn't hesitate; he snatched the flash drive from the counter and shoved it deep into his inner jacket pocket. He grabbed Clara by the arm, pulling her toward the narrow fire escape window at the back of the kitchen just as the front door crashed inward with a deafening roar. Two tall men in black tactical gear poured into the apartment, shouting commands and sweeping the rooms with flashlights. Richard pushed Clara out onto the rusted metal balcony into the pouring rain, scrambling behind her just as a flashlight beam cut across the kitchen window. “Go! Keep moving!” Richard yelled over the roar of the thunderstorm, guiding the terrified woman down the external stairs as boots clattered onto the metal platform just above them. They dropped down into the muddy alleyway below, splashing through puddles as they sprinted toward the cover of the main street where Richard’s car was parked with the engine idling. He shoved Clara into the passenger seat, slammed her door, and vaulted into the driver's seat, flooring the accelerator just as the two enforcers rounded the corner of the alley. Tires spinning in the mud, the car rocketed out into the traffic stream, leaving the pursuers behind in the blinding rain. Richard looked over at Clara, who was shivering violently in the passenger seat, clutching her damp jacket around her shoulders. “Are you alright?” he asked, his hands gripped white-knuckled around the steering wheel. Clara nodded slowly, wiping rain from her face, and pointed a trembling finger toward the USB drive resting safely in his pocket. “Now you have what you need, Mr. Vance. But you have to move fast. Tomorrow morning is the emergency custody hearing.”
