Chapter 10 - The Negotiation
The door creaked open. A tall figure stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the moonlight reflecting off the snow. It wasn't one of the goons. It was an older man, carrying a hunting rifle. He lowered the gun when he saw them huddled by the fire. "You're trespassing," he said gruffly. "Please," she begged, shielding Lily. "We're hiding. They're trying to take my daughter." The old hunter studied them for a long moment, then stepped inside and locked the heavy deadbolt. "I saw the flashlights down the ridge. They're heading this way." He walked over to a hidden floorboard under a rug and pried it up, revealing a dark crawlspace. "Get in. Don't make a sound." She climbed down, pulling Lily with her. The hunter replaced the boards and the rug just as loud banging started on the cabin door. "Open up!" a voice shouted. Through the cracks in the floorboards, she saw the door burst open, and three pairs of black boots stepped into the cabin. "Where is she, old man?" one of them demanded, cocking a pistol.
