I squeezed her hand.
“I’d do it again.”
“I know.”
She smiled.
“Then whatever you decide, make sure it’s a decision you can live with.”
I didn’t sleep much that night.
At 4:17 in the morning, I was still staring at the ceiling.
At 5:03, my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
Then I saw the message.
Marcus, this is Julian. I wanted you to know something before you make your decision. The reason I found you wasn’t luck. I specifically asked our warehouse to identify the driver who arrived during the storm.
I stared at the screen.
Another message appeared.
There is more to that night than I told you.
I sat up.
A third message came through.
The SUV didn’t simply lose power. Someone had tampered with it before we left Columbus.
I stopped breathing for a moment.
Then another message appeared.
And I believe the person who did it may be connected to Apex Freight Lines.
I read it three times.
My hands suddenly felt cold.
I called him.
He answered on the first ring.
“Marcus.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I didn’t want to discuss it in Victor’s office.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t know who I can trust at Apex.”
I sat on the edge of the bed.
“Julian, what happened to your SUV?”
There was silence on the other end.
Then he said:
“The mechanic found something hidden beneath the hood.”
“What?”
“A tracking device.”
I frowned.
“A tracker?”
“Yes.”
“Why would anyone track your vehicle?”
“That is what I’m trying to figure out.”
He paused.
“And that’s not the worst part.”
“What is?”
“The device was installed by someone who had access to our maintenance records.”
I stood.
“Do you know who?”
“Not yet.”
“Then why do you think Apex is involved?”
“Because two days before the storm, one of our warehouse shipments disappeared.”
My stomach tightened.
“What shipment?”
“Electronics.”
I stared into the darkness.
“What kind?”
Julian’s voice became quieter.
“The exact kind of electronics you were hauling that night.”
I couldn’t speak.
He continued.
“Marcus, I need you to think carefully.”
“About what?”
“Everything Victor said to you that night.”
I replayed the memory.
The text.
Keep moving. You’re already behind schedule.
Then:
Miss that delivery window, and you may have just cost yourself your job.
I had assumed he was simply being cruel.
Now I wasn’t so sure.
Julian said, “There may have been a reason someone desperately wanted your truck to arrive at that warehouse on time.”
I looked toward the folder containing my employment offer.
“What are you asking me to do?”
“Nothing yet.”
“Then why tell me?”
“Because tomorrow morning I’m meeting with the board.”
“The board?”
“Yes.”
A pause.
“And if what we’ve uncovered is true, Apex may have a much bigger problem than one angry supervisor.”
I heard movement on his end.
Then he said:
“Marcus, don’t tell Victor about this conversation.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t know who is listening.”
The call ended.
I stood alone in my bedroom.
For the first time in eight years, I began wondering whether that storm hadn’t simply changed my career.
Maybe it had exposed something much bigger.
And somehow, without knowing it, I had driven straight through the middle of it.
