The sky trembled with late‑summer heat as Lin Anran sped along the Gowanus Expressway in Gu Jinci's armored sedan. Sirens wailed behind them—Gu's security detail in pursuit. In the back seat, Su Jian'an clutched the fox backpack, knuckles white. Anran's knuckles mirrored his grip as she wrestled the steering wheel through snarled traffic.
“Mommy, where are we going?" Jian'an's voice quivered.
Anran glanced in the rearview mirror. “Some friends are coming to help us, sweetie. Stay calm."
Behind them, black SUVs wove between lanes, taillights flashing like warning beacons. Gu Jinci crouched in the passenger seat, speaking rapidly into his earpiece. “Alpha Team, block Route 27 at the next exit. Bravo Team, cut off the chase at Prospect Park."
Anran felt a jolt—the tire crushed a shattered
