Vanessa kept her foot on the gas until the van's engine began to protest. Tree-lined asphalt whipped beneath the headlights, and the night air rushed past the side mirrors. She'd driven thirty straight minutes south of the city, not slowing once. Sighting a rusted highway sign half hidden by vines—she eased up and rolled to a stop on the shoulder.
Gravel crunched beneath the tires. The engine ticked in the sudden quiet.
She cut the lights, killed the ignition, and stepped out. Cool air hit her face, and for a moment she just breathed. She could still taste the adrenaline in the back of her throat.
"How the hell did SWAT find me?" she muttered, shutting the door softly. "How did they know it was me under that mask?" She paced around the front bumper, glancing up and down the empty road. Pine trees hemmed in both sides like walls. No headlights, no sirens—just the low hum of insects and the distant rustle of night wind.
