Chapter 7 - The Intercept
Nora jammed the transmission into reverse, whipping the car around in a hard semi-circle to avoid the approaching sedans. Her tires spun against the slick asphalt before gripping and rocketing the car forward down the opposite end of the lane.
Chloe didn't chase. She merely lowered her umbrella slightly, watching Nora escape into the gloom with a calm, predatory smile.
Nora drove blindly through the rain-soaked streets of the city, her heart hammering against her ribs. Her first instinct was to go back for her children, but she knew Evelyn’s nanny, Mrs. Higgins, would never let Julian harm them, and police protocol wouldn't touch the minors without protective custody warrants. If Nora was arrested with the drive on her, she would be branded the mastermind, and the girls would end up in state care.
Her phone buzzed in the cup holder. The caller ID flashed: Detective Marcus Vance - Financial Crimes.
Vance. The same last name as Chloe.
Nora hit the speakerphone button. ""Who is this?""
""Mrs. Mercer, pull over immediately,"" a gruff, authoritative voice commanded through the speakers. ""You are in possession of grand jury evidence. Agent Chloe Vance is my sister, and we have been running this sting on your firm for six months. You are in severe danger.""
""Your sister wore a dress I bought into a hotel room to humiliate me,"" Nora spat back, turning sharply onto an industrial access road near the shipping docks. ""Don't lecture me about danger.""
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""Chloe used an unsanctioned tactic because Julian Mercer was stalling,"" the detective replied, his tone grim. ""Julian isn't just an embezzler, Mrs. Mercer. The shell company your mother set up has ties to a private development cartel that doesn't leave loose ends. If you don't bring that drive to the precinct in twenty minutes, they won't just seize your assets. They'll erase everyone tied to that paper trail.""
Nora glanced at her rearview mirror. Two pairs of high-intensity halogen lights cut through the rain, closing the distance at terrifying speed. It wasn't the police. The vehicles were heavy, matte-black SUVs with tinted windows and bull bars.
