Installment 28 of my featured novel “Relentless” is here!

I am publishing the novel in small installments, so it takes only minutes to keep up with the story. Many years ago, I was a fan of Stephen King’s installment-based publishing of “The Green Mile” over many months, so I am following in that vein as a feature on Moteventure.

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RELENTLESS – D.S. FACTOR

Chapter Eleven  

As bullets ricocheted off metal and the silencer reduced the potential inquiries from curious neighbors, the doors to the elevator eventually closed fully, sealing Winn and Abi inside. 

With a shudder and a sudden jolt, the elevator began its descent to the parking garage level of Velocity’s complex. In dim light, Abi’s breath came in and out in short, panic-stricken gasps, her mind racing to imagine the possibilities of what might come next.  

Winn grabbed Abi’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “We need to stay calm,” she whispered, though her own voice trembled. “We’ll figure this out.” 

The elevator descended deeper at a faster clip, the walls vibrating with each passing second. Suddenly, the lights went out, plunging them into darkness momentarily before screeching to a halt and the fluorescents jittering back to life. Abi’s grip tightened on Winn’s hand, her heart pounding in her ears. 

A soft click echoed through the elevator shaft, followed by a faint glow as the door began to rise. “We have to go,” Winn urged, pulling Abi through the opening, and into the expanse of the underground parking garage.  

As Winn and Abi stumbled into the underground parking garage, the sound of their footsteps echoed ominously. The dim, flickering lights cast eerie shadows on the concrete walls, heightening their sense of urgency. 

As Winn guided them through the garage, Abi stopped her for a moment, her breath still coming in short gasps. “What if they’re waiting for us?” she whispered, her fear palpable. 

“We’ll deal with that if it happens,” Winn replied, squeezing Abi’s hand reassuringly. “Right now, we need to move.” 

They crept along the rows of parked cars, trying to stay hidden. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the distant hum of machinery. Suddenly, a loud clang echoed through the garage, making them both jump. Across the space, one of the intruders shoved his way through the stairwell entrance door, swinging about to take careful aim with his firearm. 

“Over there,” Winn pointed to a side door marked ‘Emergency Exit.’ They hurried towards it, their footsteps quickening. Just as they reached the door, it burst open, and a figure stepped out, blocking their path. 

“Going somewhere?” the figure taunted, a sinister smile spreading across his face. Winn and Abi froze, their escape plan thwarted. 

---

Winn and Abi’s hearts nearly stopped as they faced the dark figure blocking their path. Thinking quickly, Winn gave a brief but knowing look to Abi that simply said, “follow my lead”. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, attempting to appear confident. 

“We’re not looking for trouble,” she said, her voice steady. “We have no part in whatever this is.” 

The figure laughed out loud, clearly not convinced. “You think you can just walk away? No part? You’re at the heart of it all, Abi Spencer.” 

While Abi shuddered at the mention of her name, Winn’s eyes darted around, searching for anything that could help. She noticed a fire extinguisher mounted on the wall nearby. With a sudden burst of speed, she lunged for it, grabbing the extinguisher and aiming it at the man. She pulled the pin and squeezed the handle, releasing a cloud of white foam. 

The target stumbled back, blinded and disoriented. “Run!” Winn shouted, pulling Abi towards her car a few stalls away, franticly fishing for her keys and pressing the unlock button before falling haphazardly into the driver’s seat and pressing the ignition button, bringing the car roaring to life. 

Immediately clicking the auto lock button, Winn put the car into gear, glancing into the rear-view mirror before backing out of the parking space. Standing directly behind the vehicle was the man from the stairwell entrance, with his gun trained directly on them. As shots rang out, Winn floored the car in reverse, with a thump, thump echoing loudly in the garage, as the back window shattered, pieces of glass strewn all over the backseat and onto their shoulders. 

With glass trailing from the trunk, Abi and Winn screeched around the sharp turns and headed for the exit, knowing the extinguisher ploy would only give them a moment’s advantage. 

---

As the duo sped past the opulent 23-carat gold-leaf dome of the Iowa State Capitol, they veered off course, retracing their steps through the southwestern heart of downtown Des Moines. 

Their adrenaline-fueled escape took them hurtling through the streets, their car weaving between traffic, as the shattered glass in the backseat clung to their clothes, a painful reminder of the danger they faced. 

As they raced along Grand Avenue, the cityscape blurred past. Neon signs flickered, casting eerie glows on the pavement. Abi’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the door handle, her mind racing. Who was that man? Why was he after them? And how did he know her name? 

From seemingly thin air, Winn witnessed a dark SUV making a sudden sharp turn from a side road, managing to navigate to only a handful of car lengths behind them. Her eyes darted between the road and the rear-view mirror. The man was relentless, closing in on them. 

---

Fortunately, Winn had what in the sports world could be called “home court advantage”. Executing a few strategic turns and travelling where there were opportunities to slow down their pursuers, Winn and Abi eventually lost the SUV to traffic, and found themselves exiting the city limits, slipping into an apple orchard amongst the swaying stalks in the corn fields of the Iowa countryside to take a breather and determine what to do next. 

Exiting the vehicle to the sweet, crisp scent of ripening fruit, Abi and Winn leaned against the back of the car, and contemplated their next move, with the light of the long day beginning to show its first signs of transitioning into sunset. 

The sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the rows of trees. Abi wiped her brow, her heart still racing from their narrow escape. Winn scanned the horizon, eyes narrowing as she spotted a distant farmhouse. It stood like a solitary sentinel against the expanse of cornfields. 

“We can’t stay here,” Winn said, her voice nearly inaudible. “They’ll find us eventually.” 

Abi nodded, then glanced at the orchard, the apples hanging heavy on the branches. The farmhouse seemed promising—a place to rest, perhaps find supplies. 

As they approached the weathered wooden structure, Winn’s instincts kicked in. She checked the windows, the doors. Abi followed suit, her senses on high alert. The sun sank lower, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. No lights were shown from the windows, so Winn tried the door and cautiously stepped inside, the air thick with dust and cobwebs. 

Just as the last light of day slipped away, Abi’s burner phone began to buzz, signaling the receipt of a message.  

“Who would know this number?” she quizzically looked to Winn, who projected a simple yet universal shrug of her shoulders. 

Awakening the phone with a touch, Abi noted an incoming message, popping it up on the screen: 

Dans les rues de Paris, les ombres murmurent des secrets. C’est à nous de les écouter et de résoudre leurs énigmes.  

https://www.ouroboros-chronicleparis.fr/7X2b9R3

+33-6-60-71-05-75 

Even though everything she’d ever known about security and computer viruses screamed, “don’t do it”, Abi knew with a burner phone, the potential reward in information was worth the risk. Knowing this, she clicked the link, which took her to a page in French about an organization known as MedAmérique Un and a research scientist by the name of Dr. Caroline Kramer. 

Abi turned her phone over and dialed. After several rings, the call was answered. 

“Hello?” 

“Dr. Caroline Kramer?” Abi hesitantly inquired. 

“Who’s calling?” the woman asked in return. 

“This is Abi Spencer,” she replied. 

---

Winn stepped to the open door. The scent of apples lingered, a reminder of the orchard they’d left behind. But here, in this forgotten farmhouse, a new chapter began—one filled with danger, intrigue, and the hope of answers. 

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