?Chapter 1444:
Meanwhile, a ck bulletproof SUV tore through the storm. udiusy on a stretcher inside, his expression drawn tight. The heart monitor beside him kept a steady rhythm.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Each sound echoed the rising tension in the vehicle. Then a surge of unease swept through udius without warning, and a troubling possibility took shape in his mind. Once his father learned his whereabouts, he would dispatch people to track him down. If Kiley had viewed the USB’s contents and gone to the hospital to find him, she could easily cross paths with Kolton. Given his father’s obsessive suspicion, he would question every reason for her presence, dissecting her answers until the truth — or panic — slipped through. He might even leap to the conclusion that Kiley had been the one who freed udius from the dungeon. If that happened, Kolton would drag her into an interrogation, and once he found the USB drive, her fate would be sealed.
“Sir?” Falcon leaned over udius, searching his distressed gaze. “What is it?”
udius blinked twice with effort and fought for each word, every syble scraping past his throat. “Kiley… tell her… not to go to the hospital.”
The message struck Falcon immediately. Understanding shed across his face, followed swiftly by guilt — he had missed what udius had grasped in an instant. “I’ll call her right away and warn her off,” he replied, already reaching for his phone.
Back at South Lake Park, the storm churned on. Hidden deep within the shrubs, Kiley held her breath and strained to catch the hushed exchange between two operatives just yards away.
“Did we cover this section yet?”
“The growth is too thick. Can’t see a thing.”
“Let’s check over there.”
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Their boots trudged closer. Fifteen feet. Ten. Each step shrank the distance between hunter and prey. Kiley’s fingers tightened around the handgun in her grip, every muscle coiled for ast-ditch struggle.
Then a shrill ringtone erupted through the night, slicing the tension wide open.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
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