Chapter 10 - The Unlikely Ally
Mark crouched behind a stone pillar, clutching a heavy river stone, his clothes dripping and heavy. The figure stepping out of the sedan was tall, wrapped in a dark raincoat, holding an umbrella. The yellow beams illuminated the visitor's face.
It was Detective Miller, the retired state investigator who had handled Mark’s father’s drowning case ten years prior before being abruptly forced into early retirement.
""Mark!"" Miller called out in a low, raspy voice. ""I received an automated email from Elena's private server twenty minutes ago. Get in the car before they spot you!""
Mark hesitated, remembering Elena’s warning that corruption ran deep. But the sound of quad bikes roaring to life across the estate grounds made the choice for him. He bolted from the treeline and threw himself into the passenger seat.
Miller slammed the car into reverse just as two security vehicles turned onto the driveway, their high-beam spotters sweeping the pavement. Tires screamed against asphalt as Miller spun the wheel, rocketing the sedan down the dark mountain road away from Blackwood Ridge.
""Is she... is Elena really gone?"" Miller asked quietly, eyes fixed on the rain-drenched curves ahead.
""She was murdered,"" Mark said between chattering teeth. ""Poisoned. And Chloe orchestrated it all. My father's death too. I have the files right here.""
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Miller glanced at the drive, his expression tightening grimly. ""We can't take this to the county sheriff, Mark. Half the precinct takes envelopes from Robert’s company. We need to reach the federal building in the capital.""
Suddenly, the sedan's dashboard computer screen flashed bright red. A high-pitched tone began beeping steadily from under the steering column.
