Every instinct told him to rely on his own team, but the evidence sitting behind that wheel was impossible to ignore. Finally, he nodded. "All right," he said slowly. He turned back to Elias. "Show us how it's done."
The mechanic stepped toward the damaged wheel again. And as he knelt down in the fading rain, every guard in that convoy watched carefully. Because the quiet man fixing a tire was about to become the most important person on that entire highway. Elias knelt beside the wheel again, rainwater dripping from the edge of the SUV onto the back of his jacket. The convoy's headlights cast long white beams across the pavement, turning the small patch of road into a makeshift operating table.
Marcus Trent stood close behind him, arms folded, watching every movement. "You said stabilize the brake pressure." Marcus said. "Yeah." Elias replied calmly.
"And you can do that here?" Elias opened the worn tool bag he'd pulled from the bed of his pickup parked a few yards behind them. Inside were ordinary tools, wrenches, clamps, a pressure gauge taped together with old electrical tape. Nothing about it looked impressive. But Elias handled each piece with quiet precision.
Victoria Hale stepped closer, ignoring the damp pavement beneath her shoes. "What exactly are you doing?" she asked. Elias held up a small metal clamp. "Temporary pressure lock." Marcus frowned.
"You carry that around for flat tires?" Elias gave a faint shrug. "Sometimes jobs turn into bigger problems." He slid partially under the SUV, shoulders disappearing beneath the chassis as he reached toward the damaged brake line. A guard instinctively crouched beside him with a flashlight.
For several seconds, the only sound was the steady tapping of rain and the low hum of the convoy engines. Then Elias spoke from under the vehicle. "Whoever cut this line knew exactly where to do it." Marcus crouched lower. "You keep saying that."
"Because it's true." Elias tightened something with a short metallic clip. "Brake pressure lines don't just fail cleanly unless someone preps the failure point." Victoria crossed her arms. "You're certain this was intentional?"
"Yes." Marcus watched carefully as Elias adjusted the clamp. "You sound like you've investigated sabotage before." A quiet pause followed. Then Elias slid out from beneath the SUV.
His face was wet, streaked with rain and grease. "Investigated it," he said. "Prevented it, cleaned up after it." Marcus studied him again. "That doesn't sound like roadside mechanic work."
"It isn't." Victoria's curiosity deepened. "Where did you learn it?" Elias leaned back on his heels, examining the brake line again. "Convoys."
Marcus exchanged a quick glance with Victoria. "Military convoys?" Elias didn't confirm it directly, but he didn't deny it, either. Instead, he tightened the clamp another quarter turn. The metal line hissed softly as pressure equalized.
Marcus heard it immediately. "You just sealed it." "Temporarily," Elias corrected. "It'll hold long enough to move the car safely." Victoria exhaled slowly.
"You did that in under 2 minutes." Elias wiped his hands again. "Didn't have the luxury of taking longer where I learned it." Marcus leaned closer to inspect the repair. "Pressure looks stable," he admitted.
Elias nodded. "But don't drive it far." Marcus stood again, glancing toward the distant curve in the road. "That turn would have killed her." Elias didn't answer.
He didn't need to. Victoria looked down at the damaged wheel. "You saved my life tonight." Elias shook his head slightly. "Not yet."
Marcus frowned. "What do you mean?" Elias gestured toward the convoy. "Whoever set that trap didn't expect this delay." Marcus followed his gaze.
"You think they're still nearby?" "I think someone planned this carefully." Victoria tilted her head. And careful people check their work. A guard jogged toward them from the roadside perimeter.
Sir. Marcus turned. What is it? The guard pointed down the highway. "Vehicle approaching from the north."
Marcus narrowed his eyes. Headlights appeared in the distance, slowly cresting a hill. Victoria's voice dropped. "That wasn't one of ours." Marcus shook his head.
"No." The approaching lights moved slower than normal traffic. Too slow. Elias stood up fully now, watching the road. "That might be your van."
Marcus's hand drifted toward his sidearm. "Everyone hold positions," he ordered quietly. Guards shifted into defensive positions around the convoy. Victoria remained beside Elias, her expression unreadable. You think they came back to see if the job worked?
She said. Maybe. The headlights grew brighter as the vehicle approached. Marcus spoke into his radio. Vehicle incoming.
White cargo van, possibly suspect. The convoy lights reflected off the wet road as the van slowed even further. For a moment, it looked like the driver might stop. Instead, the van accelerated suddenly. Marcus cursed.
"That's them." The vehicle sped past the curve ahead, racing toward the convoy. Security agents stepped into the road, hands raised. The van swerved violently, and disappeared down a side access road before anyone could react. Marcus lowered his weapon slowly.
"Damn it." The sound of the van's engine faded into the distance. Victoria looked toward the road where it vanished. "They came back." Elias nodded.
"And now they know the trap didn't work." Marcus turned back toward him. "How sure are you about that?" Elias gestured toward the disabled SUV. Because if the plan had worked, he let the sentence hang.
Marcus finished it. "They'd be looking at a wreck right now." Victoria exhaled slowly. "Instead, they saw us standing here." Marcus nodded grimly.
"So, now they'll adapt." Elias looked down the highway again. The rain had almost stopped now. But, the air still felt heavy. "They already did," he said quietly.
Marcus studied him. "What makes you say that?" Elias pointed toward the road where the van disappeared. Because whoever was driving that didn't panic. Marcus followed the thought.
"They were observing." "Exactly." Victoria crossed her arms. "They wanted confirmation." Elias nodded.
"And now they have it." Marcus rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. So, the question becomes, Victoria finished the sentence. "What do they try next?" Elias looked at the convoy.
Then at the quiet highway stretching beyond it. His voice remained steady. If someone planned to crash that carefully, he paused, they probably planned a backup. The word settled heavily over the group. Marcus looked toward his guards.
"Stay alert." Victoria glanced at Elias again. "You're staying with us until we reach the city." Elias blinked slightly. "That wasn't the plan."