THE LAST JUDGEMENT

THE LAST JUDGEMENT 7

CHAPTER 7

Daniel’s breath caught in his throat as the men advanced, their weapons gleaming under the flickering fluorescent lights of the parking garage. Emily’s grip on his arm tightened, her body tense as she assessed the number of assailants. There were at least six of them, all dressed in dark suits, their faces unreadable.

"Stay behind me," she whispered, her voice razor-sharp.

Daniel barely had time to react before a man stepped forward, his presence commanding. His tailored suit was pristine, his movements measured. He exuded the kind of quiet authority that made people obey without question.

"Daniel Calloway," the man said again, his voice eerily calm. "We’ve been looking for you."

Daniel clenched his fists, his pulse hammering. "Who are you?"

The man offered a ghost of a smile. "Names are irrelevant. What matters is that you have something that belongs to us."

His eyes flickered toward Emily, then to the duffel bag at her feet. "Hand it over."

Emily took a step back, shifting her weight in a way that told Daniel she was prepared to fight. "You’ll have to kill me first."

The man sighed, almost disappointed. "I was hoping we could avoid that."

Without warning, he nodded, and his men raised their guns.

Daniel’s instincts screamed at him to run, but there was nowhere to go. They were trapped. He could feel Emily tense beside him, her breath steadying, preparing for what came next.

Then, just as all hope seemed lost, a sharp screech echoed through the garage. Headlights flared as a car barreled into the space, skidding to a halt between them and the armed men. The driver’s door flung open, and a figure emerged, their voice cutting through the chaos.

"Get in!"

Emily didn’t hesitate. She grabbed Daniel’s wrist and yanked him toward the car. Bullets tore through the air, shattering concrete and metal as their mysterious savior laid down cover fire. Daniel dove into the backseat, his heart slamming against his ribs as the tires screeched again, sending them rocketing out of the garage.

"Who the hell—" Daniel started, but the driver cut him off.

"No time. Hold on."

The car swerved onto the highway, weaving through traffic at breakneck speed. Daniel turned to see their pursuers scrambling into their vehicles, headlights glaring as they gave chase.

Emily twisted in her seat, gripping the dashboard. "I hope you have a plan, because we won’t outrun them forever."

The driver’s eyes flickered to the rearview mirror, calculating. "We don’t need forever. Just long enough."

Daniel swallowed hard. "Long enough for what?"

The driver smirked. "For the trap to spring."

Before Daniel could question it, a deafening explosion rocked the highway behind them. A massive fireball erupted as one of the black SUVs was thrown into the air, flipping violently before crashing in a mangled heap. The remaining vehicles swerved wildly, some colliding in the chaos.

Daniel turned wide-eyed to Emily, then back to the driver. "Who are you?"

The driver only smiled. "An old friend of your father’s."

Daniel’s mind spun. His father had been dead for years. But if this person knew him, that meant—

"You knew the truth, didn’t you?" he asked, his voice hoarse. "About what really happened to him?"

The driver’s expression darkened. "I did. And if you want to survive this, you need to hear everything."

Daniel exhaled shakily, the weight of the night pressing down on him. "Then start talking."

The city lights blurred past as they sped deeper into the unknown, the past unraveling before them one secret at a time.