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Seeing the urgency in her expression, Derik reluctantly agreed. "Alright, just promise me you'll be careful out there," he said as they gathered their things and headed for their separate destinations.
***
Morgan's car sped down the desolate backroad, the bright sun casting long shadows across the barren landscape. As she drove further from the bustling city of Dallas, the road grew increasingly deserted, offering her the solitude she needed to think.
The case weighed heavily on her mind, each new clue leading them closer yet seemingly farther away from the truth. Was this bird sanctuary truly a lead, or would it prove to be another dead end? She gripped the steering wheel tighter, her knuckles turning white as she tried to focus on the task at hand.
The wind whipped through her hair as she rolled down the window, hoping the rush of air would clear her thoughts. Her heart raced in anticipation of what she might find at the sanctuary, and she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that time was running out.
"Come on, Morgan, you can do this," she whispered to herself, finding strength in her own words. "You've been through worse, and you've always come out on top."
As the road stretched on, her determination grew stronger. She would find this killer and put an end to their twisted reign of terror, no matter what it took. For now, all she could do was follow the lead in front of her and hope for the best.
"Let's see what you're hiding, bird sanctuary," she mused, pressing down on the gas pedal and speeding toward her destination.
Morgan's eyes flicked to her phone, resting in the center console. The screen remained stubbornly blank, devoid of any notification from Thomas. She clenched her jaw as she remembered the voicemail she had left him, warning him not to hurt her dog, Skunk. His silence gnawed at her insides like a vicious hunger, filling her stomach with icy tendrils of dread.
"Damn it, Thomas," she muttered under her breath, anger and fear warring within her. The thought that Skunk could be dead was excruciating, a sharp stab in her heart that brought tears to sting her eyes. Blinking them back, she tried to focus on the case, but the pain threatened to swallow her whole.
As she drove along the desolate backroad, she glanced up at the rearview mirror and spotted a car far behind her. Initially dismissing it as just another driver, she soon realized that it was gaining on her at an alarming rate.
Probably some teenager screwing around, she thought, brushing off the unease that crept into her chest. But with each passing moment, the car drew closer, its rapid approach becoming impossible to ignore.
The sun beat down on the windshield, casting a harsh glare that Morgan squinted against as she focused on the road ahead. The tension in her shoulders increased with each glance at her phone, still no word from Thomas. A bitter taste lingered in her mouth, and she gritted her teeth to hold back the sting of tears.
Suddenly, her eyes caught movement in the rearview mirror. The car behind her was accelerating, closing the distance between them with alarming speed. As it drew closer, she noticed an arm extending out of the driver's side window - holding a gun.
Morgan's instincts kicked in like a lightning bolt, her foot slamming on the accelerator as her body tensed for action. The first gunshot rang through the air, a bullet ricocheting off the back of her car, narrowly missing the rear window. She swerved violently to evade the hail of bullets, her knuckles white as they gripped the wheel.
Who the hell is this? she thought, fear and adrenaline pumping through her veins.
With one hand still on the wheel, Morgan reached for her own gun, pressing it against her thigh as she tried to steady her breathing. Her heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing with possibilities - could it be the men who framed her? Or even Thomas himself?
"Enough!" she yelled out loud, attempting to break free from her spiraling thoughts.
She fired her gun through the open driver's side window, aiming at the car behind her. The sound of shattering glass filled her ears as her bullet tore through the attacker's windshield. For a moment, the shooter stopped firing, but it didn't last long. They roared back to life, their gun spraying bullets relentlessly.
Still swerving wildly to avoid the onslaught, Morgan fired at the car again and again. Her stomach twisted in pain as each bullet left her gun, the sound ringing in her ears like a death toll.
"Stop it!" she yelled, her voice cracking from the strain. Her gun clicked empty, the cool metal slipping from her numb fingers. Her attacker continued to fire, the car swerving too close to her for comfort. She bit her lip, the salty blood trickling into her mouth.
She gripped her steering wheel, desperately trying to keep the car steady as she considered her options. As the car came within feet of her own, she sprung into action, her foot slamming down onto the gas pedal. As they sped past each other, Morgan jerked the wheel of her car, clipping the side of her attacker's car. The force from the collision jolted her car, sending her out of control. She struggled to regain control, but it was no use - the car was spinning out of control. The wheels screeched and Morgan's world spun, but she managed to pivot back onto the road, pushing on the gas once she was stable.
Her gun poised and ready, her eyes locked onto the rearview mirror, she prepared for whatever came her way.
The dust kicked up by the speeding car behind her filled Morgan's vision, the smell of burning rubber assaulting her senses. She strained to see the driver through the tinted windows, but they remained shrouded in mystery. Her heart pounded, and she forced herself to focus as she gripped her gun tighter.
She couldn't let her emotions get the best of her - not now.
The car raced closer, coming within feet of her own. Adrenaline surged through her veins as her car was rammed from behind, sending her careening into a ditch along the side of the road. The car flipped violently, tossing Morgan into the air before nosediving into the ground below. The rough landing left her dazed and disoriented, her world spinning in every direction.
At first, Morgan didn't register the searing pain in her chest, but as the world came back into focus, she felt a clawing sensation from deep inside. It grew stronger, grasping at her body and refusing to let go. The last thing she saw was the attacker's car before the darkness finally came.
Skunk… Derik… she thought, her consciousness slipping away.
And then everything went black.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
