Maksimillian

It was about ten minutes after we left the Mäkinen manor, which was in the outskirts of Helsinki. We followed the asphalted road where trees and grasses were on either side of it—as I could remember it. It was dark except for the rented vehicle’s headlights. It was suspicious, since the streetlights were on when we passed by earlier, when we were headed to the Mäkinens.

My heart pumped hard in alarm. “Floor it, Sacha!” I barked my order to my bodyguard behind the wheel, and I dialed the Finnish emergency number.

Sacha was confused for a second but did as told. He increased it to full speed, while...