Chapter 20 - The Horizon
The sun was dipping below the horizon, painting the clouds in streaks of purple, gold, and blood-orange.
As the car cruised down the winding highway, Leo rolled down his window, leaning his arm against the frame to feel the cool wind rushing past his fingers. For the first time in his life, there were no red laser sights in the dark, no clicking pingers in the water, no ticking fuses, and no flashing monitors demanding codes.
He pulled a small metallic object from his hoodie pocket—the original crushed microchip he had tossed onto the garage floor three weeks ago, now just a harmless piece of scrap metal.
With a flick of his wrist, he threw the chip out the window. It sparkled once in the setting sun before falling into the ocean waves crashing far below the cliff side.
"Where to first?" Sarah asked, keeping her eyes on the open road ahead.
Leo looked at the map resting on his lap, stretching out into the endless expanse of the country.
May you like
"Anywhere," Leo said, a real, bright smile spreading across his face. "Just drive."
The car accelerated into the dusk, its red taillights shrinking into the distance as the road wound deeper into the mountains, leaving the shadows of the past behind in the dust.
