The Federal Line
Chapter 07 - The Federal Line
I pressed the gas pedal all the way to the floor, the speedometer needle climbing past eighty, ninety, ninety-five miles per hour through the blinding storm.
Behind me, the two police sedans kept up the relentless pursuit, trying to pin my SUV against the concrete guardrails of the river bridge.
Ahead in the distance, through the thick curtain of rain, I saw a row of heavy floodlights and dark blue vehicles blocking all four lanes of the highway at the county line border.
It was a federal roadblock.
Six massive black FBI SUVs sat parked bumper-to-bumper across the road, their flashing red and blue strobe lights cutting through the darkness. A dozen heavily armed federal marshals stood in front of the barricade, their assault rifles raised.
“STOP YOUR VEHICLE NOW!” the federal loudspeaker echoed across the bridge.
I slammed on my brakes, skidding to a stop twenty feet in front of the federal line. Behind me, the two corrupt state police sedans screeched to a halt, their doors flying open as four officers stepped out, weapons drawn.
“Hands where we can see them!” the federal team leader roared through his megaphone, stepping forward with his badge displayed. “State officers, drop your weapons! You are entering a federal jurisdiction!”
The state officers froze, looking at the dozen federal marshals pointing high-powered rifles directly at them. Realizing they were completely outmatched, they slowly lowered their handguns and raised their hands in surrender.
Evelyn Vance stepped out from behind the lead FBI SUV, wearing a heavy raincoat, running straight toward my vehicle.
She opened the driver's door, pulling me out into her arms, wrapping a warm blanket around my shivering shoulders.
“You’re safe, Claire,” Evelyn whispered, holding me tight as tears finally poured from my eyes. “You’re safe now.”
I reached into my handbag, pulled out the encrypted flash drive Sergeant Miller had given me, and placed it directly into Evelyn’s hand.
“This has everything, Evelyn,” I sobbed, my body shaking with exhaustion. “The offshore accounts, the Mayor’s signatures, and the proof that Adrian killed Sarah.”
May you like
Evelyn looked at the drive, her jaw tightening with unyielding determination.
“My father and my cousin thought they owned this state,” Evelyn declared coldly, looking back toward the county line. “Tonight, we tear their empire down to the ground.”
