Cover of The Fourth Option

The Fourth Option

by Matt Hilton


Genre
Thriller, Suspense
Year
2020
Pages
356
Contents

14

Overview

Rink successfully lures most of the attackers away from the hotel, giving Hunter a chance to get Sue to the Audi, but Stephen Vincent stays behind and nearly cuts off their escape. Hunter avoids a direct showdown long enough to drive Sue out of town, only to find hurricane damage has trapped them in City Docks.

When an unlit SUV blocks the only exit, Hunter is forced into a desperate head-on attack instead of continued flight. The chapter raises the stakes by turning their escape into a moving trap and setting up a violent confrontation with Vincent's team.

Summary

Rink executes the distraction plan by roaring the Ford out of the hotel lot and drawing both SUVs and several gunmen after him. While the pursuers focus on the apparent getaway, Hunter gets Suzanne Bouchard over the wall and leads her back through the vacant lot toward his Audi, using the confusion to slip away unseen.

Before they can reach the car cleanly, a hidden gunman opens fire from between the containers. Hunter returns fire and realizes Stephen Vincent has stayed behind instead of joining the main chase, confirming that Vincent anticipated the possibility of Rink's decoy. Hunter and Sue race around the damaged house, and Hunter gets her into the back seat of the Audi so she can stay low and keep her weapon ready.

As Hunter pulls away, Vincent steps into view and fires repeatedly at the Audi, hitting the hood and windshield area. Hunter recognizes him even without the old disguise and drives on rather than stopping to fight, because protecting Sue and avoiding further delay matters more than settling old scores. He heads northwest, conscious that the local police may soon respond to the gunfire.

Trying to shake pursuit, Hunter turns off Highway 98 into City Docks, hoping to use back roads to circle around and reconnect behind the enemy vehicles chasing Rink. Hurricane damage ruins the plan: wreckage blocks the route, the bridge to 44th Street is gone, and the area becomes a dead end. Hunter reverses in darkness, searching for another exit while keeping Sue down in case the gunmen have followed.

Near the docks entrance, Hunter spots an SUV moving without lights and realizes the enemy has found them and blocked the only way out. Assuming Vincent is aboard and that the vehicle carries multiple armed attackers, Hunter chooses aggression over entrapment. He tells Sue to stay down, guns the Audi straight at the SUV, and fires his silenced pistol through the open window as the two vehicles charge toward each other.

Who Appears

  • Hunter
    Leads Sue's escape, evades Vincent, and attacks a blocking SUV when trapped at City Docks.
  • Rink
    Drives the Ford as a decoy, pulling most of the gunmen and both SUVs away from Hunter and Sue.
  • Suzanne Bouchard
    Protected by Hunter during the escape; follows his instructions and stays armed in the Audi.
  • Stephen Vincent
    Stays behind instead of fully chasing Rink, ambushes Hunter, and joins the pursuit toward City Docks.
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