Chapter 10
Two hours later, Marcus pulled the black sedan off the main highway onto an old logging track blocked by a rusted chain-link gate. The snow had begun to fall lightly, dusting the pine needles with a delicate layer of white that promised a harsh winter storm by morning.
"End of the line for this vehicle," Marcus announced, shifting into park and cutting the engine. The sudden silence inside the car felt heavy. "The local authorities up here belong to syndicates that take orders from high-paying private estates if the price is right. We can't cross the border in a flagged vehicle."
Lily stirred, rubbing her eyes sleepily as Arthur gently shook her awake. "Where are we, Dad?" she whispered, shivering slightly in her beige cardigan.
"We're getting a new ride, sweetie," Arthur encouraged her with a reassuring smile he didn't entirely feel. He opened the door and stepped out into the freezing night air, pulling the heavy dark leather duffel bag out with him.
Marcus popped the trunk, pulling out a pair of heavy-duty snowshoes and a rugged, camouflage-painted all-terrain utility vehicle stored beneath a tarp. "This quad can take you through the old smugglers' trails across the ridge line. It avoids the automated border checkpoints entirely. Once you drop down on the other side of the valley, follow the creek north for three miles. There's an abandoned forestry cabin where a friend of mine is waiting with fresh papers and a transport van."
Arthur hoisted the leather duffel bag over his shoulder, feeling the familiar, heavy weight grounding him. He looked at Marcus with deep gratitude. "I owe you everything for this, old friend."
"Just keep the girl safe, Arthur," Marcus replied, tightening the straps on Lily’s small backpack to ensure she was bundled up against the bitter cold. "That's payment enough."
Before they could mount the utility vehicle, the sharp crack of a distant twig echoed through the silent forest behind them. Arthur froze, his hand instinctively dropping to his side where he wished he carried something more formidable than sheer willpower.
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"Did you hear that?" Arthur whispered.
Marcus drew a silenced pistol from his holster with practiced, fluid ease, his eyes scanning the dense wall of pine trees illuminated only by the faint glow of the stars. "We've been tracked. Get on the quad, now!"
