Chapter 7 - THE TRAP ON THE HIGHWAY
The rain came down in heavy sheets as Clara’s sedan sped south along Interstate 75 toward Naples. Visibility was near zero, wiper blades slapping frantically against the windshield.
"Keep an eye on the side mirrors, Elena," Clara warned, her hands tight on the steering wheel. "Sterling isn't going to let his empire crumble without a fight."
"We're fifteen minutes away," I said, checking the GPS on my phone.
Suddenly, a heavy thud rocked the rear bumper of our car.
My neck snapped back as the seatbelt locked tightly against my chest.
"What was that?!" I screamed.
Clara looked in the rearview mirror. "It's a black Ford pickup! He bumped us from behind!"
Through the torrential rain, the high beams of a massive truck blinded us through the rear window. The truck accelerated, slamming into our driver's side quarter-panel, forcing Clara's sedan toward the concrete median barrier.
Sparks flew into the night air as our metal frame scraped along the barrier wall with a deafening screech.
"He's trying to push us off the road!" Clara yelled, fighting to control the steering wheel.
I looked through the rain-slicked side window of the truck. Behind the wheel sat a heavy-set man wearing a baseball cap—a man I recognized instantly from Mark's backyard barbecue photos three years ago.
It was Todd, Heather’s boyfriend and a former tow-truck driver.
"Hold on!" Clara slammed on the brakes.
The heavy truck overshot us, skidding sideways across three lanes of slick asphalt. Clara yanked the wheel to the right, dodging the spinning truck, and accelerated down the off-ramp toward the Naples business district.
"Are you okay?!" Clara yelled, her knuckles white.
"Keep driving!" I shouted, watching the rearview mirror. "He's recovering! He's coming back!"
We tore through two red lights, turning sharp corners into an industrial park where the Sunshine Senior Care office was located.
Clara slammed the car into park right in front of the dark two-story medical building.
"Go inside!" Clara ordered, pulling a licensed handgun from her glove compartment. "I'll hold off the truck if he comes around the corner! Get the drive!"
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I threw open the door, ran through the pouring rain, and smashed the glass front panel of the office building with a heavy brick from the landscaping bed.
I reached through the broken glass, unlocked the handle, and bolted inside into the pitch-black hallway.
