Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 456

The morning sky was barely lit as Ludwik sped towards the outskirts of Emperor City in his sports car, heading for an abandoned junkyard.

A thick fog enveloped the area, making the black car, suspended by a crane among countless junked vehicles, almost mystical.

As Ludwik drove in, he saw Parker’s crew guarding the black car while his own team of forensic experts and detectives were on their way.

"Ludwik!" The sound of a scuffle broke the silence.

It came from Parker's direction. Ludwik's face hardened, recognizing the mysterious rival also investigating the black car—linked to Sammy’s kidnapping. They likely aimed to destroy the car before Ludwik could find any clues!

"Collect every fingerprint on this car, inspect every detail!" Ludwik instructed the forensic team, then dashed towards Parker, bypassing the sports car.

Unexpectedly, a rusted truck burst out from within the junkyard!

"Ludwik, he's getting away!" Parker shouted.

Ludwik's face was ice-cold as he returned to his sports car, slammed the door, and floored the accelerator, chasing the truck.

They were nearing a highway overpass. "Parker, we trap him before the overpass!" Ludwik commanded over the phone.

"I'm right behind you."

Parker’s car was fast approaching.

The truck ahead panicked, swerving and crashing into barriers in a desperate attempt to escape Ludwik’s relentless chase.

With the fog thickening near the overpass, visibility dropped.

Ludwik, with grim determination, pushed his car to its limits.

"Ludwik! Stop, there’s a tanker truck ahead..."

Parker suddenly spotted a massive tanker, running a red light, aiming straight for the rogue truck.

"Someone's trying to kill the guy in the truck! Stop chasing him!"

But Ludwik, driven by the slim chance of saving his son, didn’t relent.

Boom!

The tanker collided with the truck, causing a massive explosion. The truck flipped several times before coming to a halt.

The leaking tanker was a ticking time bomb...

In a desperate move, Parker rammed into Ludwik's sports car, forcing it to a screeching halt against the guardrail.

Ludwik, dazed and bleeding, stumbled out of his car, racing towards the overturned truck.

"Don’t! It’s going to blow, Ludwik, he’s probably dead!"

"What if he’s not."

Ludwik was determined to check, hoping the man might have information on Sammy.

Just as he approached, the tanker and truck exploded in a fiery blast.

"Ludwik!" In the final moments, Parker tackled Ludwik to safety.

As the smoke cleared, Ludwik, face down in the dirt, watched the only lead to his son turn to ashes.

Minutes later, regaining his composure and ignoring the blood trickling down his forehead, Ludwik lit a cigarette, his thoughts racing.

"Parker, did you get a good look at the guy?"

"Not just a look, I got photos. This guy was just a middleman; there’s someone else pulling the strings."

"They really don’t want us digging around. But this just proves Sammy might still be in Emperor City. And this is bigger than Elaine’s doing."