Chapter 5
Part 6 — The Hidden Refuge
The roar of the hypercar echoed throughout the stand.
The enormous glass doors slowly swung open as everyone watched Ethan grip the steering wheel tightly. On the dashboard, the red dot continued to blink steadily.
ACTIVE LOCATION.
Signal received 3 minutes ago.
The manager approached the driver's side door.
Ethan... if this sign is true, you can't go alone.
The boy kept his eyes fixed on the map.
— I can't waste any more time either.
The billionaire finally regained his voice.
No one is leaving here with that car!
He gestured to the security guards.
Stop him immediately!
The two men stepped forward, but the hypercar reacted before they could. A deep rumble echoed through the entire body, and suddenly the headlights illuminated with an almost blinding intensity.
The system spoke in a calm, metallic voice.
Threat detected. Safety distance activated.
The security guards stopped instinctively. None of them understood how a vehicle could recognize a dangerous situation.
The manager looked at Ethan.
Your father thought of everything.
Ethan took a deep breath.
No... he knew this could happen.
The panel changed again.
A new message appeared.
TIME REMAINING UNTIL SIGNAL EXPIRES: 47 MINUTES.
Ethan's heart raced.
If we don't arrive before then...
The system completed the sentence.
The location will be deleted automatically.
The manager immediately opened the passenger door.
Okay, let's go.
Ethan looked at him.
Are you sure?
I worked with your father. If he's still alive, I owe him at least this.
Behind them, the billionaire's furious voice could be heard.
If they go through those doors, they'll never come back!
The manager smiled for the first time.
Perhaps that's exactly what I want.
Ethan gently pressed the accelerator.
The hypercar left the stand in silence for the first few meters.
Then, when it reached the main road, the engine unleashed all its power.
In a few seconds they disappeared into the rain.
For several minutes neither of them spoke.
The system guided them on its own, choosing secondary roads and avoiding highways.
The manager was looking at the dashboard.
This is not the shortest route.
"He's avoiding surveillance cameras," Ethan replied.
The man looked at him, surprised.
— Because that's how my father taught me to program routes. How do you know?
Because that's how my father taught me to plan safe routes.
The manager remained silent.
Each of that boy's answers reminded him of Daniel.
The same calm.
The same way of thinking.
The same look.
Suddenly, a red warning appeared on the screen.
Three vehicles are approaching.
Ethan looked in the rearview mirror.
In the distance, three points of light broke through the rain.
— They found them...
The manager turned around.
That can't be. We left less than ten minutes ago.
The system automatically enlarged the image.
Three black SUVs were approaching at high speed.
No registration required.
Completely dark windows.
The system identified them only as:
Unauthorized vehicles.
The first one accelerated.
Then the second one.
The third one kept some distance.
As if he were coordinating the other two.
"Do you think they're the billionaire's men?" the manager asked.
Ethan shook his head slowly.
- No.
So whose?
The boy pointed to the screen.
— Notice.
New information has appeared in the upper corner.
Electronic signature detected.
ORGANIZATION: HELIX.
The manager immediately turned pale.
- No...
Ethan looked at him.
— Do you know that name?
The man took a few seconds to respond.
I thought he had disappeared years ago.
— It was the name of the group that financed secret. What is Helix?
The manager fastened his seatbelt.
It wasn't a company.
- Then?
— That was the name of the group that secretly financed your father's project.
Ethan frowned.
The investors?
Much worse.
What do you mean?
The manager took a deep breath before answering.
— Officially, they were developing technology.
He paused.
But behind the scenes, they bought inventions... and eliminated anyone who refused to sell them.
Silence fell again inside the car.
Behind them, the SUVs were getting closer and closer.
The system issued another warning.
DISTANCE: 300 METERS.
280 meters.
250 meters.
Ethan gripped the steering wheel tightly.
They don't want the car.
So what do you want?
The young man answered without taking his eyes off the road.
They want to prevent me from finding my father.
At that moment, the SUV in front accelerated sharply and crashed into the rear of the hypercar.
The impact caused the golden vehicle to wobble.
But before Ethan could react, the system automatically took control of the steering.
A message appeared on the screen that none of them expected to see.
DEFENSE MODE ACTIVATED.
A second line appeared immediately below.
FÉNIX PROTOCOL INITIATED BY DANIEL CARTER.
The manager was breathless.
— Your father... never spoke to me about that protocol.
Ethan had never heard that name before either.
May you like
And then the car started doing something completely unexpected.
Continued in Part 7...
