The highway stretched endlessly before them, the faint glow of the city far behind. The hum of the engine was steady, but Rossy could feel the storm brewing in Harper's mind. His knuckles were white against the steering wheel, his jaw set in stone.
"Where are we going?" Rossy asked after a long silence. My head hurts I can't go any further.
Harper's eyes remained on the road. "To someone who might help."
"Who?"
"A journalist," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Her name is Leah Carter. She's been investigating Zeath's network for years. She's one of the few people I trust to use this information wisely."
Rossy blinked. "A journalist? Won't that make us an even bigger target?"
Is this a right idea? How could I be so sure that this will solve our problems? I hate this being suspicious to my husband but he didn't even talk to me about this since our marriage started.
"We're already targets," Harper replied. "The only way to beat someone like Zeath is to expose him. This isn't just about us anymore, Rossy. It's about everyone he's hurt."
She sank back into her seat, the weight of his words pressing down on her. Harper was right, but the thought of dragging someone else into their mess made her stomach turn.
A Risky Meeting
Hours later, they arrived at a nondescript diner on the outskirts of a small town. The parking lot was nearly empty, the faint glow of the neon sign casting long shadows across the asphalt.
Harper parked the car and turned to Rossy. "Stay close to me. If anything feels off, we leave immediately."
She nodded, her pulse quickening as they stepped out of the car. The diner's interior was dimly lit, the hum of fluorescent lights blending with the low murmur of conversation.
A woman sat in a corner booth, her blonde hair pulled back into a messy bun, a notebook and recorder on the table in front of her. She looked up as they approached, her sharp green eyes scanning them with curiosity and caution.
"Harper," she said, her voice steady. "You're late."
"Traffic," he replied, sliding into the booth across from her. Rossy followed, sitting close to Harper.
Leah's gaze shifted to Rossy. "You must be Rossy. I've heard a lot about you."
"From who?" Rossy asked, her guard immediately up.
Leah smirked. "Zeath's enemies have a habit of talking. And your name has come up more than once."
Harper leaned forward, his tone serious. "We don't have time for pleasantries, Leah. I have something you'll want to see."
He slid the USB drive across the table. Leah raised an eyebrow but plugged it into her laptop without hesitation. As the files loaded, her expression shifted from curiosity to shock.
"This is…" she began, her voice trailing off.
"Everything," Harper finished. "Proof of Zeath's operations. Names, dates, transactions. Enough to bring his entire empire crashing down."
Leah looked up, her eyes wide. "This is huge. But it's also dangerous. If Zeath finds out I have this—"
"He already knows we have it," Rossy said, her voice trembling slightly. "He's not going to stop until he gets it back."
Leah nodded, her expression grim. "Then we need to move quickly. I can start working on a story, but this kind of exposure takes time. I'll need to verify everything, gather corroborating evidence—"
"We don't have time," Harper interrupted. "Zeath's men could be here any minute."
Leah hesitated, then nodded. "I'll do what I can. But you two need to lay low. If he finds you, it's over."
The Warning
As they left the diner, Harper's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, his expression darkening.
"Who is it?" Rossy asked.
"An old contact," he said, answering the call.
The voice on the other end was tense, urgent. Harper listened intently, his face growing more serious by the second.
When he hung up, he turned to Rossy. "Zeath knows about Leah. He's sending people after her."
Panic surged through Rossy. "We have to warn her."
Harper nodded. "We will. But we can't go back to the diner. It's too dangerous."
He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text. Moments later, Leah responded: I'm already moving. Stay safe.
Rossy exhaled a shaky breath. "Do you think she'll be okay?"
Harper's jaw tightened. "She's smart. But Zeath doesn't play fair."
A Shadow in the Dark
As they drove away from the diner, Rossy couldn't shake the feeling that they were being followed. Every car that appeared in the rearview mirror sent her heart racing, every shadow along the roadside a potential threat.
"Are you sure we're not being tracked?" she asked, her voice wavering.
Harper glanced at her, his eyes scanning the mirrors. "I've checked the car. There's no tracker. But that doesn't mean they aren't watching."
Rossy's stomach churned. The constant fear, the uncertainty—it was suffocating.
"What if we don't make it?" she whispered.
Harper reached over, his hand briefly covering hers. "We will. I promise."
His words were firm, but she could hear the doubt lurking beneath them.
Zeath's Next Move
In a high-rise office overlooking the city, Zeath sat at his desk, his fingers steepled as he listened to the report from one of his men.
"They've contacted a journalist," the man said, his tone cautious. "Leah Carter."
Zeath's lips curled into a cold smile. "Leah. I've been waiting for her to crawl out of the woodwork."
"What should we do?"
"Send a message," Zeath said, his tone icy. "Make it clear what happens to those who betray me."
The man nodded and left the room, leaving Zeath alone with his thoughts.
He leaned back in his chair, a glint of amusement in his eyes. He knew Harper and Rossy thought they were safe, thought they could outsmart him.
But they were wrong.
To Be Continued
With Zeath tightening his grip and Leah now in the crosshairs, Harper and Rossy must act fast to stay ahead. Can they protect Leah and expose Zeath's empire, or will Zeath's reach prove too powerful to overcome?