Chapter 4 - THE VANISHING BETRAYALSofia’s heart pounded against her ribs like a trapped bird. Slowly, with her limbs feeling like lead, she crept toward the front window and pulled back the heavy curtain by a fraction of an inch.
Parked across the street under the dim glow of a broken streetlamp was an unmarked black SUV with tinted windows.
Her phone buzzed again.
UNKNOWN: Dmitry knows you found the collar. He didn't go to a client meeting. He went to retrieve the remote detonator he left in the church sacristy to destroy the remaining evidence. He will be back in ten minutes. Step out the back door quietly. Leave your phone on the table.
Sofia stared at the screen. Who was sending these messages? Was it a trap? Or was it her only lifeline?
She looked at Rich. The dog was standing by the back door, ears pinned back, waiting silently. Rich trusted whatever was happening—or at least, he knew they needed to flee.
Sofia snatched her car keys, grabbed Rich's leash, and left her personal phone resting on the kitchen counter. Slipping out through the patio doors, she moved through the shadowy backyard, unlatching the wooden gate that led to the quiet alleyway behind their estate.
A dark figure was waiting in the shadows of the alley, wearing a heavy leather jacket and a dark baseball cap.
Sofia froze, tightening her grip on Rich's leash. "Who are you?" she demanded in a trembling whisper.
The figure stepped into the pale moonlight. It was a woman with sharp feature, cold gray eyes, and a long scar running from her ear down to her collarbone.
"My name is Elena," the woman said, her voice raspy and devoid of emotion. "Three years ago, my sister was married to 'Julian' in Prague. Six days after their wedding, her car mysteriously went off a cliff. He walked away with $8 million. I've been tracking him ever since."
Sofia let out a shuddering breath. "He... he tried to kill me today."
"I know," Elena said, looking down at Rich. "Your dog ruined his plan. The cross was supposed to crush both of you, but he was going to jump out of the way at the last second, playing the grieving survivor. Because you survived, he had to pivot. He left the house to get a silenced firearm. He’s coming back to finish the job tonight and make it look like a home invasion."
Right on cue, the muffled sound of a high-powered engine echoed from the front of Sofia's house. Julian’s car had just pulled back into the driveway.
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"We have five minutes before he realizes you're gone and locks down the perimeter," Elena hissed, opening the rear door of a beat-up sedan parked in the alley. "Get in. Now."
Sofia didn't hesitate. She scrambled into the back seat with Rich, pulled the door shut, and Elena slammed her foot on the gas, melting into the dark, rain-slicked streets of the city.
