The Keys to freedom

Catch me if you can

The sun was just peaking above the horizon as the group piled into James' truck, their latest success tucked safely away in Oz's backpack. The second key. And another clue to be solved. James drove, with Oz in the passenger seat and Jessper squeezed between them. Eric and Grayson were lounging in the bed of the truck, sprawled out. The cool morning air rushed past them, a welcome relief of calmness.

"Can't believe we found it," Jessper grinned, the excitement in her voice infectious. "Like just let it sink in for a moment, for years, no one in your family line could figure it out, and we did it on the first try, how cool are we?"

"Yeah, but just because we solved one doesn't mean we will solve the next" Oz reminded.

"Don't be such a downer," Jessper said playfully shoving her, "we've got this in the bag,"

"Hell, yeah we do," James grinned wrapping his arm around her shoulders and shaking her with excitement.

Oz smiled and shook her head at them.

Thats when Grayson noticed the black SUV on the road behind them, headlights flashing as it got closer.

He sat up, narrowing his eyes. Something felt off. The SUV wasn't just following them—it was gaining on them, fast.

He leaned over and slid open the small window connecting the truck bed to the cab. "Hey, guys," he said, voice raised over the wind. "We've got company. That SUV's been tailing us for a bit now, and it's getting really close."

James glanced into the rearview mirror, his knuckles tightening on the steering wheel. "Everyone hold on," he said, a sense of urgency creeping into his voice. "This doesn't feel right."

The SUV inched closer, now practically on their bumper. Before swinging out and speeding up until it was beside them. Then without warning, it swerved sharply, trying to push them off the road. James cursed under his breath, jerking the wheel to steady the truck as it veered dangerously close to the shoulder.

"What the hell?!" Jessper shrieked, gripping the seat.

Oz turned to look out the back window, her heart pounding in her chest. The SUV's tinted windows revealed nothing—no driver, no faces, just an ominous dark shape looming behind them.

"Who is that?" Eric shouted from the bed, struggling to keep his balance as the truck swayed.

Before anyone could respond, gunshots rang out, loud and unmistakable. The sound of bullets whizzing past sent a wave of panic through the group. One bullet shattered the back windshield, sending a spray of glass fragments flying through the air. The sharp shards cutting across their skin.

"DOWN!" James barked shoving Jesspers head into his lap.

Everyone ducked as low as they could. Grayson and Eric flattened themselves in the truck bed now covered in glass. Oz's heart raced as she pressed herself against the seat, her hands shaking. Another burst of gunfire erupted, shattering the passenger side window where she crouched, her scream piercing through the night.

James ducked lower, pressing down on the gas, the truck lurching forward as he sped up. "I'm taking the back roads!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar of the engine. "We know them better—maybe they won't be able to keep up."

He turned sharply onto a narrow, winding dirt road, the truck bouncing wildly as they navigated the uneven terrain. The SUV struggled to follow, its tires kicking up clouds of dust as it fell back.

"Come on, come on," James muttered, his eyes darting to the rearview mirror, the truck weaving in and out of familiar, hidden roads. Slowly the SUV's headlights grew dimmer, swallowed by the dust and the distance between them.

Finally, they were alone. James slowed the truck, pulling off to the side of the road, the smell of dirt and adrenaline in the air.

"Everyone okay?" he asked, his voice shaky as he glanced back at the others.

"Yeah," Grayson said popping up from the back, wiping his brow, still catching his breath with little, tiny cuts covering his arms. "But who the hell was that? And why were they shooting at us?"

"Do you think... they knew about the key?" Jessper asked, her voice barely a whisper.

James was silent for a moment, his hands still gripping the steering wheel, his eyes locked on the dark road ahead. "I don't know," he finally said. "But we need to figure out who's watching us—and fast."