Chapter 4: The Storm
The journey through the backroads was a gauntlet. They navigated washed-out bridges and muddy detours, the kids huddled together in the back seat, their resilience awe-inspiring. Evan checked his phone—no signal. The storm had knocked out the towers. They were truly on their own.
By 02:00, they reached the border of the next county. But the road was blocked. A barricade of patrol cars sat across the highway, blue and red lights cutting through the darkness.
"It's a trap," Evan muttered.
He turned the car around, his mind racing. He remembered an old fire watch tower about five miles off-road. It had an old radio transmitter that was still connected to the state emergency band. It was their only hope.
He drove until the road ended, then hiked the rest of the way, carrying Leo when the boy’s legs gave out. They climbed the rickety stairs of the tower as the wind whipped around them. Inside, the equipment was ancient, coated in dust, but the power light flickered on.
Evan grabbed the mic. "This is Deputy Evan Hollis, Briar Glen. I have two children, witnesses to a major conspiracy. I am under pursuit by corrupt local officials. I need immediate state assistance at my location."
Silence. Then, static.
"Copy that, Deputy," a gravelly voice crackled back. "We see your location. Stay put. We’re ten minutes out."
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Evan slumped against the wall, exhausted. Sophie and Leo clung to him, finally closing their eyes as they realized the danger had passed. But Evan didn't sleep. He watched the horizon, his hand on his weapon, until the dawn light finally broke the darkness.
When the state troopers arrived, they weren't just men; they were an army. They surrounded the tower, and within minutes, the corrupt sheriff and his deputies were being hauled out of their vehicles in cuffs.
