"The convoy crashes behind it."
They were 10 yd away now. The driver inside the parked car finally moved.
Slowly. The headlights of the SUV illuminated his face just enough to reveal a calm expression.
Watching, waiting. Marcus spoke into the radio quietly.
"Convoy prepare for rapid maneuver," a guard's voice answered.
"Copy."
Elias leaned forward.
"Don't take the turn."
Marcus frowned.
"What?"
"If you turn normally, he wins." Victoria understood immediately.
"So we go straight."
Marcus shook his head.
"There's no road straight ahead."
Elias pointed toward a narrow maintenance lane barely visible between two trees beyond the intersection.
"There is now."
Marcus squinted.
"That's barely wide enough."
"It's enough."
The parked driver seemed to realize something was wrong. His car's engine revved suddenly.
Marcus reacted instantly.
"Hold on."
He accelerated. The SUV surged forward toward the intersection.
The driver in the parked car slammed his own vehicle into motion, swinging across the lane to block them. But Marcus didn't turn.
Instead, he drove straight past the intersection and veered sharply toward the narrow maintenance lane Elias had spotted. The SUV bounced over uneven pavement and slid briefly on wet gravel before stabilizing.
Behind them, the convoy vehicles reacted instantly, following the unexpected maneuver. The blocking car screeched to a halt in the intersection.
Too late. Marcus steered the SUV down the narrow path between the trees.
Branches scraped along the sides of the vehicle. Victoria gripped the seat tightly as the convoy thundered behind them.
Marcus glanced at Elias.
"You knew that road was there."
Elias shook his head slightly.
"I noticed it."
Marcus laughed once under his breath.
"Same difference."
The narrow lane curved sharply through the trees before reconnecting with the main highway further south. Marcus checked the mirrors.
The convoy was still intact behind them. No crashes, no spin-outs.
Victoria exhaled slowly.
"That was the final piece."
Elias nodded.
"Yeah."
Marcus looked back toward the highway they'd avoided. The blocked intersection faded behind them through the trees.
"That driver expected us to follow the route, exactly."
"Right," Elias said.
"First the sabotage, then the oil, then the funnel."
Marcus shook his head slowly.