Chapter 4 - The Logging Road
Elias checked the rearview mirror again.
The black SUV was accelerating rapidly behind them.
It moved with a heavy, aggressive speed that signaled trouble.
"Hold on tightly," Elias warned.
Mia wrapped both of her arms securely around Lily.
The little girl whimpered as the sedan swerved sharply around a tight bend.
The tires squealed loudly against the hot asphalt.
Elias pushed the engine to its absolute limit.
The speedometer needle climbed higher and higher.
But the dark vehicle behind them was not losing ground.
"Is it Nathan?" Mia asked, her voice tight with panic.
"It is his security team," Elias replied, keeping his eyes glued to the road.
"They must have tracked my car through the toll cameras."
Elias knew he could not outrun a heavy V8 engine on a straight highway.
He needed to use the terrain to his advantage.
He remembered a narrow logging road about two miles ahead.
It was unpaved, treacherous, and invisible from the main highway.
"I am going to make a hard right turn very soon," Elias instructed.
"Brace yourselves."
He watched the tree line blur past his window.
He waited for the exact right moment.
A small break in the dense pine trees suddenly appeared on the right side.
Elias slammed his foot on the brake pedal.
The sedan fishtailed violently as he cranked the steering wheel hard.
Gravel and dirt sprayed high into the air.
The car launched off the paved highway and plunged into the dark forest.
The old logging road was barely wide enough for the vehicle.
Thick branches scraped against the windows like angry claws.
The suspension groaned as the car bounced violently over deep ruts and exposed tree roots.
Mia gasped, clutching Lily to her chest to absorb the harsh shocks.
"Keep your heads down!" Elias shouted over the terrible noise.
He navigated the treacherous dirt path with fierce concentration.
He did not touch the brakes, using their momentum to carry them uphill.
They crested a steep, rocky ridge and dipped down into a muddy ravine.
Elias finally slowed the car to a halt behind a massive cluster of gray boulders.
He quickly cut the engine.
He turned off the headlights.
Absolute silence instantly swallowed the vehicle.
The only sound inside the cabin was their own heavy breathing.
"Do not move," Elias whispered softly.
He rolled down his driver-side window just an inch to listen.
The faint, distant roar of a powerful engine echoed through the trees.
The sound grew slightly louder, then steadily began to fade away.
The black SUV had blown past the hidden turnoff.
They had missed the logging road entirely.
Elias closed his eyes and let out a slow, controlled breath.
"They are gone for now," he announced quietly.
Mia slumped back heavily against the leather seat.
Tears of pure relief streamed silently down her face.
Lily peeked out cautiously from beneath her mother's protective arms.
"Are the bad men gone?" Lily asked in a small, shaky voice.
Elias turned around and managed to give her a reassuring smile.
"Yes, sweetie, we lost them," he promised.
But Elias knew the truth was far more complicated.
Nathan's men would eventually double back to search the wooded area.
They could not stay hidden behind these boulders forever.
Elias turned the ignition key, and the engine purred back to life.
He carefully shifted the car back into gear.
"The safe house is only twenty miles away," Elias stated confidently.
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"We will be completely safe there by nightfall."
He drove deeper into the protective shadows of the dense woods.
