Because whoever did this expected you to drive away. Marcus crossed his arms. "And now we haven't." "Right." The security chief frowned.
"So, what does that mean?" Elias glanced down the road again. Rain blurred the distant curve. "It means the plan just changed." Marcus felt a chill that had nothing to do with the weather.
"Changed how?" Elias looked at the convoy. Then at the dark road beyond it. If I were the one who set that trap, he said quietly, I wouldn't stop at one. Victoria's voice dropped.
"You think there's more?" Elias met her eyes. "I think someone out there expected this convoy to crash tonight." The rain continued falling. The convoy engines hummed.
And suddenly the quiet roadside repair felt less like a delay and more like the beginning of something far worse. Rain continued to pour over the convoy, turning the shoulder of the highway into a slick ribbon of reflected light. The guards moved quickly now, crouching beside wheels, checking undercarriages, scanning electronics with small handheld devices. Marcus Trent stood in the middle of it all, watching the quiet mechanic who had just overturned the entire security assessment of the evening. "You're saying someone planned for the car to fail at that turn?"
Marcus said. Elias nodded once. "And you're saying that if we'd driven off ten minutes ago," Marcus added. "You'd probably be cleaning wreckage out of the guardrail right now," Elias finished. Marcus exhaled slowly through his nose.
That possibility settled into the air like a weight. Victoria Hale wrapped her arms lightly around herself against the cold rain, though her mind was moving too fast to notice the weather anymore. "Marcus," she said calmly, "assume the sabotage is real." Marcus looked at her. "Yes, ma'am."
"Then assume whoever did it hasn't given up just because we stopped." Marcus turned toward his team. "Expand the perimeter," he ordered. "200 yards both directions." Guards moved instantly, spreading along the roadside and into the dark tree line with flashlights.
Elias watched them go. "They're looking in the wrong place," he said quietly. Marcus glanced at him. "What do you mean?" "If someone wanted this to happen at speed, they didn't need to watch the crash," Elias explained.
"They just needed to make sure you left." Victoria stepped closer. So, the person who did this could already be gone? Maybe. Marcus frowned.
Or maybe they're waiting to see if the trap worked. Elias didn't disagree. Thunder rolled faintly across the distant hills. One of the guards hurried back toward Marcus. Sir, convoy vehicles two and three are clear.
Marcus nodded. Keep checking. The guard jogged off again. Victoria studied the disabled SUV. How long would the brake line have held if we'd kept driving?
Elias crouched again beside the wheel. "At highway speed," he said. "Maybe a mile, maybe less." Marcus followed the calculation in his head. That curve is half a mile away.
"Exactly." Victoria looked down the dark road again. "Meaning the failure would have happened right in the turn." Marcus ran a hand down his jaw. "Whoever did this knew the route."
Elias stood again. "Or studied it." The rain eased slightly, leaving a steady hiss on the pavement. Marcus's phone buzzed in his pocket. He answered quickly.
Trent. A voice spoke urgently through the speaker. Marcus's expression changed. Say that again. Elias watched carefully.
Victoria waited. Marcus listened another few seconds before hanging up. "What is it?" Victoria asked. Marcus looked at her.
The fuel crew at the last stop just reported a suspicious vehicle. Victoria's eyes sharpened. "What kind?" "White cargo van." Parked across the lot for about 1five minutes.
Elias spoke quietly. "Same window of time your car was unattended." Marcus nodded slowly. "Exactly." Victoria frowned.
"Did anyone get a plate number?" Marcus shook his head. "No cameras facing that direction." Elias exhaled. That's not sloppy, he said.
That's deliberate. Marcus studied him. "You're awfully confident about that." Elias met his gaze calmly. "People who plan something like this don't improvise."
Victoria crossed her arms again. Then the question becomes obvious. Marcus finished the thought. "Who wants you dead?" Victoria's expression hardened slightly.
"Quite a few people, actually." Elias raised an eyebrow. "That's comforting." Victoria almost smiled despite the tension. Marcus looked down the highway again.
If that van followed the convoy, then the driver knows the plan failed, Elias said. Marcus nodded grimly. "Which means they'll adjust." Another guard jogged toward them. Sir.
"Remaining vehicles are clear," Marcus said, exhaling with relief. At least the convoy itself is safe. Elias glanced back at the disabled SUV. "Except that one." Marcus nodded.
"We'll tow it." Elias shook his head. Marcus frowned. "What?" "If the brake line's cut the way I think it is, towing could trigger the failure, too."
Marcus stared at him. "You're telling me the car is basically a rolling trap." "Pretty much." Victoria sighed softly. "Wonderful."
The rain slowed further, leaving only a light drizzle now. Marcus stepped closer to Elias. All right, he said. You've clearly seen things like this before. Elias didn't deny it.
So, I'm asking directly, Marcus continued, "What's the safest way to move that vehicle?" Elias looked at the damaged wheel again, then he looked down the highway, then back at Marcus. "You don't move it yet." Marcus frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You stabilize the brake pressure first." Marcus crossed his arms. "And how do we do that?" Elias tilted his head slightly. "With the right tools."
Marcus gestured toward the convoy. "We have tools." Elias shook his head. "Not the kind this needs." Victoria's eyes narrowed.
"You're saying you know how to fix it?" Elias nodded. Marcus looked skeptical. "In the rain? On the side of the highway?"
Elias shrugged. "I've worked in worse places." Marcus studied him carefully. "You really were around military vehicles, weren't you?" Elias didn't answer.
Victoria looked between them. "Marcus?" "Yes, ma'am?" "Let him try." Marcus hesitated.