Thunder struck once more, casting a fleeting spotlight on the drenched streets, revealing a frantic car fleeing from its relentless pursuer.
In the driver's seat, a man in his late thirties sat, immaculately dressed in his three-piece formal attire. The glimmer of a costly watch adorned his left wrist. He pushed the accelerator down, his concentration fixated on the slick road ahead. Despite the car's functioning air conditioning, beads of sweat clung to his furrowed brow.
A glance in the rearview mirror revealed the black SUV, still in hot pursuit.
"Damn it!" he muttered, grip tightening on the steering wheel.
The windshield wipers swept aside raindrops the size of marbles, but visibility remained poor. The weather had suddenly decided to side with the pursuer today. He dialled a number from the car's digital screen, only to be met with a ringing tone that stretched on and then disconnected, indicating the recipient's reluctance to answer.
"Fuck!" His frustration bubbled over, filling the confined space.
Desperation grew within him as he turned his attention to the empty passenger seat, which held a sealed envelope. He sighed in relief to find it in its place. After all, it was important for him. And the pursuer was after it.
Luckily, even on the rainy street, he had managed to pass the traffic. A quick check in the rearview mirror revealed the black SUV dangerously close. Panic surged through his veins, and he knew he had to act swiftly now. He can't get caught. Not when he was this close to his dreams.
He had been in an esteemed designation of a growing company, but he wanted more. More power. More money. And this envelope would give him all of that.
It's just a matter of one night. If he can take this up to the boss by tomorrow morning, he will be the next wealthiest man in the town. But as time began to pass by, his luck began to suppress him.
Within no time, the streets of Harrington, Virginia, were a chaotic blend of traffic and rain, making the situation even more challenging to drive away from his pursuer. In his pursuit to reach Brookford, 7.76 miles away, carrying a file that both a powerful entity and his pursuers desired.
He understood the perilous consequences should they catch him. He'd either end up dead in the hands of his enemies or be tortured to speak out the truth.
Which, unfortunately, he cannot afford.
After all, after twenty years of struggle, he was finally close to his dream.
Harrington had its share of bustling streets, but there were also highways that provided direct access to Brookford. As luck would have it, the downpour had resulted in heavy traffic, forcing him to take the longer route via TS 360 N, avoiding the shortcut through Havenbridge, which was currently congested.
He swiftly turned onto the elevated road, the wheels of his royal blue BMW racing away from the relentless chase.
Even after almost an hour of the chase, his attempts at evasion, however, proved futile. The black SUV doggedly persisted, closing the gap between them.
His heart raced as he dialled the number again. Repeatedly. At any cost, he must let them know he has what they were looking for after all. After four tense attempts, the call finally connected. With trembling hands, he activated the Bluetooth.
"Hello?"
"Hello? Rohan?" The voice on the other end sounded confused.
"Yes, God damn it! Why the hell haven't you been answering your calls?"
"Calm down and tell me what's going on," the man urged.
"He's following me."
"Who?"
"The Devil," Rohan replied, his throat dry and heart pounding. He glanced through his rearview mirror and saw the black SUV closing in on him. "Connect me to Mr. X," he said, desperation in his voice. "I have the files."
The voice from the other end replied after a subtle pause, "There's no need for that."
Rohan frowned. "What do you mean?"
"If you're being followed by him, the files are of no use to us now. Stop fucking calling me or it could track us back down here!" The man disconnected the call without hesitation, leaving Rohan both panicked and angered.
"What? Hello? Hello?" Rohan tried to reach him, but the caller had already disconnected the call. The line was dead with continuous robotic beeps. "Shit," he muttered, before quickly swerving his steering wheel.
The black SUV was closing in, and he had nowhere to go.
How can he let this happen? His heart began to race thinking of his future now. Everything he has ever dreamt of, will it wash away like this? After coming up so close?
A pang of hatred built up inside him. The boss he has been working with has been unfaithful. He has heard that. Still, he persisted only because he knew how handful he could be with money and power for those who dared to please him.
But with his pursuit, he had completely forgotten to go for a plan B. And now, standing at the edge where he could not see any future with plan A, he doesn't know what exactly to do.
The only way left before him is to run. Run until the night is over. Or he finds a place to hide from his pursuer.
Suddenly, he received a call from an unknown number. "Could it be the boss?" he muttered. A hope flickered in his eyes, possibly because he had heard about the file. Then, does he still have a chance? Without wasting more time, he answered quickly. "Hello? Mr. X?"
"Death," the voice on the other end replied eerily calm, sounding more manic. Rohan's blood ran cold at the sound. He had heard that voice before. So deep. So dark. So fatal.
He has heard about this man and knows what he exactly can do. Also, he was aware that he only let people hear his voice or see his face before they died. So he is dying?
With a grip on his sanity and bravery, he clutched the steering wheel still. He dared to ask, "Who are you?"
"You know who I am, don't you, Rohan Drivedi?" the man on the other end chuckled darkly.
Rohan slammed the accelerator, attempting to speed away. He knew the man chasing him was no less than trouble. And by any means, if he gets caught, he is dead.
"Oh, I've always admired the chase, Rohan," the man chuckled again. "It will be fun to watch you run for your life, knowing that you have it for a limited time." Rohan gulped. "The clock is ticking by." He said. "Tick, tock, tick, tock. Run. As much as you can." He laughed. "I want you to know what fear really looks like. What it looks like to watch yourself crumble and feel helpless. I'll be watching you. Your demise. Your end."
"Shut the hell up!" Rohan yelled, trying to gather his courage. "You can't do anything to me. They already know I have the file. Mr. X will come to get what's his. They'll come to find me soon."
"Hahaha..." The man laughed manically from the other side. His voice was so dark that it sent shivers down Rohan's spine. "I've always admired your confidence, Rohan," he said. "A man who left his home at eighteen built his own name in the city through wit and luck. Or is it that you've always known that one day you'd end up in the hands of the Devil who would snatch all your power, your smiles, and your pains?"
The SUV and the BMW ran side by side now.
"You are a fool to think that your boss would even dare to face his death to save a pathetic life like yours. You know he is the most selfish man in the world. Don't you?"
Rohan was terrified now, and it showed on his face. He knows it is the truth and that no matter how much he tries to act, Mr. X will show up even for the file, he won't. That man would never risk his life for him. So whatever it is, is all him now. A lone wolf. But the question is, how long can a lone wolf survive without its pack? "Wha-What do you want?"
"I want destruction," the man replied darkly. "The souls trapped in your body are begging for freedom." Rohan has heard this before. How can he not? This was his line after all. All those people he had killed before, he gave them the same dialogue before meeting them with death. "and I shall give it to you, Rohan. Very soon. The justice due for so long will be served from the Devil's hand."
Rohan turned left to watch the black SUV running side by side with him. The black glass guarded the face of his pursuer, whom he desperately sought. There was no other option now.
He sighed as he looked ahead, praying for his life. He must do something now. The traffic on the road was building quite fast, and he took the opportunity.
Rohan's desperate plea was cut short as he abruptly ended the call and took an unexpected turn onto an empty, winding road, continuing along the desolate road. A desperate hope began to bloom in his chest as he glanced at his rearview mirror. The black SUV was no longer in view. He sighed, believing that he had successfully left the black SUV behind. A fleeting, wistful smile played at the corners of his lips.
Maybe he was safe now?
He chuckled at his luck. How gracefully he dodged death? In fact, he laughed in pride, almost growling. "Take that, bastard. I am invincible."
He began to drive further, approaching the desolate road to find a new one that could connect him to the city. He could maybe park his car somewhere else and find a hotel for the night. The next morning, he would escape the city.
He gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white with tension, and rounded a treacherous bend in the road. But, in the eerie silence of the desolate escarpment road, where the only sound was the howling of the wind, his optimism was short-lived, when suddenly, his world was consumed by the blinding glare of a massive, oncoming semi-truck, roaring towards him like a metal monster.
"Shit!"
His heart pounded, and time seemed to slow to a crawl as he wrestled with the wheel. He swerved his car to the left, narrowly avoiding a catastrophic collision with the mammoth truck. But in doing so, his car struck a jagged rock at the edge of the road, and with a sickening lurch, it careened off the road, plummeting down a steep, unforgiving cliff.
The world outside became a blur of chaos and disorientation as the car tumbled, metal against earth, in a nightmarish descent. Rohan's car slammed against trees, rocks, and unforgiving terrain, each impact a deafening chorus of destruction.
As his vehicle finally came to a crashing halt, it was engulfed in a searing, consuming fire. Flames tore through the mangled wreckage, the inferno casting eerie, flickering shadows across Rohan's anguished face. The pungent smell of smoke filled his lungs as his world was enveloped in an agonizing blaze of heat and destruction. He coughed, desperate to get free. Blood dripped down from his forehead from the freshly cut wound.
His eyes flashed with terror as he realized he was trapped inside and was about to die. Rohan screamed in terror, but his voice was drowned by the roar of the flames and the twisted, metal carcass that had once been his escape. He thrashed and fought against the suffocating smoke, clawing desperately at the door, but it was futile. The intense heat seared his skin, and in the midst of the engulfing fire, he could only watch as his world crumbled, knowing there would be no salvation.
****
The black SUV screeched to a halt near the cliff's edge. Inside, the Devil, with a mask on, watched the fiery demise with a cold, impassive gaze. Concealed beneath the ominous shroud of the night, his countenance bore an enigmatic grin, a faint flicker of malevolence dancing upon his lips. Beside him was the truck.
Something indicated that all of this was pre-planned. Rohan's accident was pre-planned. Looking at the driver of the truck, the devil nodded as he drove by, leaving Rohan to die that night. Where the Devil watched till the very end.
How finally Rohan gave up his sinful body.
He liked Rohan's death. In fact, he even enjoyed it.
Raindrops hissed and sizzled in the scorching inferno, their watery dance upon Rohan's blazing car casting an eerie and surreal backdrop to the unfolding tragedy. This was his sinister masterpiece, a necessary note in the symphony of chaos he orchestrated.
****
The local news declared that Rohan Drivedi had died that night.
His body, still a mystery.
—X—