Chapter 4 - The Rear Alley Breakout
The storm had intensified, turning the narrow rear alleyway behind Nia’s property into a rushing canal of muddy water and swirling autumn leaves.
Jyn led the way through the back kitchen gate, holding a heavy black umbrella over Nia and Leo, while Thor trotted at their heels, his silver fur soaking up the rain like a sponge.
Parked in the shadow of the neighbor's overgrown willow tree was not a sleek Maybach, but a dark gray, unmarked Ford F-250 pickup truck—a completely ordinary American utility vehicle with heavy-duty off-road tires and reinforced steel bumpers.
"Is this yours?" Nia asked, squinting through the rain.
"I bought it two days ago from a construction contractor in Indiana under an alias," Jyn said, unlocking the doors with a key fob. "In America, a black luxury sedan attracts attention. A dirty Ford pickup truck is invisible."
He opened the spacious rear cab door. Thor immediately leaped into the back seat, shaking his wet fur everywhere, before settling onto the rubber floor mat, holding Captain Squeaks firmly between his paws.
Jyn helped Nia lift Leo into his car seat—which Jyn had somehow already installed in the middle rear seat, perfectly secured with top-tether straps and latch anchors.
Nia looked at the car seat, then at Jyn. "You installed a Britax Marathon convertible car seat?"
"I read seventeen consumer safety reviews on the flight from Zurich," Jyn said, his face deadpan. "It received the highest rating for side-impact protection."
Nia couldn't help the small, breathless laugh that escaped her lips. The terrifying mob boss of Western Europe was an over-prepared helicopter parent.
"Front seat, Nia. Now," Jyn urged gently, closing the rear door.
As Nia climbed into the passenger seat, Jyn slid into the driver's side, turning the key in the ignition. The heavy V8 engine roared to life with a deep, muscular thrum.
On the main street in front of the house, tires squealed against the wet asphalt. The second Maybach, having realized Vance wasn't answering his follow-up radio check, was peeling out from the front curb, accelerating toward the rear alleyway!
"Hold on," Jyn said calmly.
He didn't turn on the headlights. He slammed the truck into reverse, stepping heavily on the gas.
The F-250 shot backward down the dark alleyway at thirty miles an hour! Through the rain-streaked windshield, Nia watched the headlights of the Maybach round the corner of the alley, its high beams illuminating the rear bumper of their truck.
"Jyn! They're right there!" Nia yelled.
Jyn didn't flinch. He reached down, grabbed a heavy iron lever between the seats, and pulled it upward while turning the steering wheel sharp to the left.
The heavy pickup truck executed a flawless, ninety-degree tactical reverse J-turn inside the narrow alley, its heavy tires mounting the concrete curb, missing the brick wall of a garage by less than three inches!
CRASH!
The Maybach, unable to stop on the slick asphalt, slammed its front bumper directly into the heavy dumpsters lining the alley wall, its airbags deploying with a loud BANG!
Jyn shifted the F-250 into drive, slammed his foot on the accelerator, and the truck shot forward out of the alleyway, merging smoothly onto the main boulevard just as the streetlights clicked off at 4:00 AM.
Behind them, the suburban neighborhood receded into the dark rain.
Inside the quiet cab of the truck, the heater blew warm, fragrant air. In the back seat, Leo let out a soft yawn, his little hand resting on Thor’s silver ear.
"Where are we going?" Nia asked, looking down at her hands. Her fingers were still shaking from the adrenaline.
Jyn glanced in his side mirror, verifying that no secondary vehicles were following them onto the highway ramp.
"Gary, Indiana," Jyn replied. "A private airfield operated by an independent freight contractor who owes my family his life. My Gulfstream G650 is waiting on the tarmac."
Nia looked at him. "And then?"
"And then... Switzerland," Jyn said softly. He reached across the center console, resting his large, warm palm over her cold fingers. "Where you and our son will finally be safe."
Nia looked out the window at the dark highway stretching before them. She thought about her quiet suburban life, her job at the logistics firm, her cozy kitchen. She had left her velvet box on the counter. She had left her half-empty mug of tea.
She looked back at her sleeping son, at the giant silver dog guarding him, and at the man holding her hand—a man who had faced down an international syndicate with a tactical truck, an ancient contract, and a child’s squeaky duck.
"Jyn?" Nia asked quietly.
"Yes?"
May you like
"If Captain Squeaks gets lost during the flight, you are buying Leo a new one."
Jyn smiled, his silver eyes reflecting the passing highway lights. "I will buy him the company that makes them."
