The Silent Witness

Chapter 12: The Chase Continues

That night, as Sarah drove home, she noticed a car following her — the same grey sedan Layla had described days earlier. Her hands tightened on the wheel as she took a sudden turn, testing whether it was really following her.

The car turned too.

Sarah picked up her radio, calling for backup, but before help could arrive, the sedan sped up, forcing her car toward the side of the road. Sarah swerved hard, tires screeching, narrowly avoiding a crash.

The sedan pulled alongside her for just a moment, and through the rain-streaked window, she caught a glimpse of the driver — a man with a scar along his jaw, watching her with cold, calculating eyes.

Then the car sped away into the night.

Shaken, Sarah pulled over, her heart pounding. She called David immediately.

"They tried to run me off the road."

"Are you hurt?"

"No. Scared, but fine." She took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice. "This isn't just about protecting Richard's reputation anymore. He's willing to kill a police officer to keep his secrets."

"We need to protect Layla too," David said. "If they're bold enough to come after you, they'll go after her again."

Sarah's stomach dropped. In the chaos of the past week, Layla had been staying at a safe house, guarded by two officers. But if there really was a leak inside the department, that location might not be secret anymore.

"Get to the safe house now," Sarah said. "I'll meet you there."

But when they arrived twenty minutes later, the safe house door was open, and the two guarding officers were unconscious on the floor.

Layla was gone.

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