Chapter 300 Chapter 300

Chapter 300 Chapter 300
Chapter 300

The dark SUV sped away from the gas station lot, cutting through the outskirts of town just as the blue lights of the local police cars flashed in the rearview mirror far behind them. Ethan sat heavily in the backseat, leaning back against the headrest with his eyes half-closed. He pulled his right leg straight out to relieve the constant, burning pressure in his thigh, his knuckles white as he held tightly onto the carved wooden cane. His breathing was heavy, short, and ragged as the adrenaline from his narrow escape began to wear off.

Agent Miller kept her eyes fixed on the dark road ahead, adjusting her rearview mirror slightly so she could check on him. "You must be wondering who I am," she said, her tone calm and steady over the hum of the engine.
Ethan just panted, leaning his head against the cool glass of the side window. He was too exhausted, too sore, and far too drained to ask a long string of questions.
Agent Miller introduced herself clearly. "I’m Agent Miller with the FBI. I'm working with federal law enforcement to give you justice and fight your case against Sam Keystone and everyone involved. As a result, you shouldn't be scared right now. You are in safe hands."

The moment she mentioned Sam Keystone and the federal investigation, Ethan shifted slightly on the leather seat, turning his head toward the front console. A wave of frantic anxiety seemed to cut right through his physical exhaustion, and he began to rant, his voice raspy and desperate as he leaned forward.
"Please then, help me find Isabelle," Ethan pleaded, his eyes wide as he looked at the back of her seat. "I remembered leaving her off in the woods in France near the river. I had to draw Sam's guards away so she could get across the border. I don't know if she made it out alive. I just don't know, but she's a strong woman. You have to find her. Please tell me your people are looking for her."

Agent Miller just smiled softly, looking at his frantic reflection in the mirror as she steered the SUV through a quiet curve in the road.
"Isabelle is alive," Agent Miller said gently, letting her words sink in. "She is completely safe, and she is waiting at your mother's house right now." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Only if you knew how Isabelle had been worried for you to get home safe. She hasn't rested for a single second since she crossed that border, constantly trying to find help for you out there and making sure we brought you back."

Ethan froze in the backseat, a massive wave of pure relief washing over his entire body. He let out a long, shaky breath, resting his forehead against the wooden handle of his cane as he swallowed hard. The terror that had been sitting in his chest ever since he pushed her toward that wooden bridge in France finally vanished.

"It wasn't easy, but I made it," Ethan finally said softly, looking out the window as the vehicle swerved around the familiar paved roads of Monterey. The neighborhood trees, the stone walls, and the distant outline of the coast began to appear through the gloom, bringing a strange sense of reality back to him. He was actually back home.

Agent Miller turned off the main street early, cutting through a private back lane that bordered the thick forest behind Maria’s property. She doused the heavy front headlights, creeping the SUV along the quiet gravel path until she reached the tall perimeter wall surrounding the estate. She tapped a remote code on her visor, opening a hidden iron gate that led straight into the private side driveway near the staff garage.

She parked the car deep in the shadow of the brick archway, away from the front entrance where anyone watching from the main road might see them. Agent Miller turned off the ignition and looked back at Ethan. "We are keeping this quiet to avoid any spotters Richard or Sam might have around the main gates."

She stepped out, opening the rear door to help him maneuver his injured leg out of the vehicle. Ethan set the tip of his wooden cane onto the stone pavement, pushing himself up with a low grunt of pain. Agent Miller guided him carefully down the narrow stone walkway toward the private side entrance of Maria's house.

Agent Miller unlocked the heavy wooden door with a key Maria had given her, pushing it open quietly. Ethan took a deep breath, clutching his cane tightly as he stepped over the threshold into the dimly lit side hallway.