chapter 9: Messages

Rory's heart sank as she read the message again. "I'll always find you." The words seemed to sear themselves into her brain, filling her with a sense of dread.

She looked up at Marcus, who was watching her with a concerned expression.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice low.

Rory hesitated, unsure of whether to show him the message. But something about his kind eyes put her at ease.

She handed him the phone, and Marcus's expression turned grim as he read the message.

"Do you recognize the number?" he asked.

Rory shook her head. "No, it's unknown."

Marcus's eyes narrowed. "We'll have to be more careful," he said. "Julian's getting desperate."

Rory felt a chill run down her spine. She knew that Julian was capable of anything.

As they drove through the night, Rory couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. She kept looking over her shoulder, expecting to see Julian's car behind them.

But there was never anything there.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Marcus pulled over to the side of the road.

"We need to switch cars," he said. "We can't keep using the same vehicle."

Rory nodded, feeling a sense of relief. Maybe they could finally shake Julian off their trail.

As they got out of the car, Rory noticed a figure watching them from across the street. She grabbed Marcus's arm, her heart racing.

"Look," she whispered.

Marcus followed her gaze, his eyes narrowing.

"It's okay," he said. "That's just our backup team. They're here to help us."

Rory felt a wave of relief wash over her. Maybe, just maybe, they were going to make it out of this alive.

But as they walked towards the backup team, Rory couldn't shake the feeling that Julian was still out there, waiting for his chance to strike

Rory watched as the backup team approached them. There were two men, both dressed in black, their faces expressionless.

The backup team quickly got to work, transferring their gear to a new car. Rory watched, impressed by their efficiency.

As they finished up, one of the men turned to Marcus. "We've got a problem," he said, his voice low.

"What is it?" Marcus asked, his expression serious.

"We've detected a tracking device on the SUV," the man replied. "Julian must have planted it when he found the safe house."

Rory's heart sank. She had been so careful, but Julian had still managed to find her.

"What does this mean?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Marcus's expression was grim. "It means we have to get rid of the device," he said. "And we have to do it now."

Rory nodded, feeling a sense of determination. She was not going to let Julian catch her.

As they set to work disabling the tracking device, Rory couldn't help but wonder what other tricks Julian had up his sleeve.

And then, just as they were finishing up, Rory's phone buzzed again. She looked at the screen, her heart sinking.

It was another message from Julian. "Try as much as you can but You'll never escape me," it read.