Chapter 16 Rising Smoke

• The bullet shattered the tinted glass, a jagged starburst across the windshield. Valentina’s heart thundered as the truck fishtailed across cracked asphalt. Summer heat pressed against her skin, a mix of sweat and diesel soot stinging her eyes. Every nerve in her body screamed as the rearview mirror rattled, reflecting the chaos of the industrial yard. Dante’s curses echoed in her ear, mixing with the sound of mercenary radio chatter and distant alarms.
• Dante’s fist tore at the ignition panel, sparks dancing in the cab’s dim light. His one good arm moved with desperate precision, rewiring the circuit. He tripped over exposed wires, gasping, “Hold on fuck got it!” The engine coughed, then roared like a wounded animal.
• Valentina slammed her foot into the pedal. “Drive!” she yelled, voice raw. The truck lurched forward, tires screaming against the asphalt as they rammed through a chain-link fence. Metal shrieked, shredding the barrier.