Chapter 8 - The Ambush in the Woods
Three masked figures clad in dark tactical gear poured into the cabin, their boots thudding heavily against the floorboards. In the lead, a tall man leveled a silenced pistol directly at Julian’s chest, while the other two moved swiftly to block the windows and the back hallway.
"Step away from the table, Julian," a voice commanded through a synthetic voice-modulator attached to the lead intruder's mask.
Julian’s instincts kicked in. Instead of retreating, he shoved the heavy oak table forward, sending it crashing into the legs of the lead intruder and knocking him off balance just as he pulled the trigger. The silenced bullet zipped harmlessly past Julian’s ear, embedding itself deep into the stone fireplace with a loud crack.
"Clara, get down!" Julian yelled, grabbing the steel briefcase off the floor and shielding Clara and the baby as they dropped behind the heavy leather sofa.
Arthur scrambled out of his rocking chair with surprising agility for an old man, grabbing a heavy brass poker from the hearth and swinging it hard across the back of the second intruder, who was trying to circle around the sofa. The attacker grunted and collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
The third intruder lunged toward Julian, grabbing the handle of the steel briefcase in a desperate struggle for possession. Julian slammed his elbow backward into the man's ribs, breaking free and kicking the briefcase across the floor toward Clara.
"Take Leo and run out the back door!" Julian ordered, trading blows with the remaining tactical operative.
Clara didn't hesitate. Clutching the briefcase in one hand and securing the baby carrier against her chest with the other, she sprinted down the dark hallway toward the kitchen exit. As she burst out into the cool night air, the dense pine forest offered immediate cover against the flashing headlights of two idling SUVs parked near the tree line.
Footsteps crunched on the gravel behind her as one of the masked operatives broke away from the cabin to give chase. Clara scrambled through the overgrown ferns, her breath coming in ragged gasps as the sharp branches of pine trees whipped against her face. She couldn't afford to slow down; every instinct screamed for her to push deeper into the dark woods where the heavy canopy blocked out the moonlight.
She tripped over a exposed root, tumbling down a steep embankment, but miraculously managed to keep the baby securely cradled against her chest, absorbing the impact with her own shoulder.
"Got you," a deep voice rasped right behind her in the darkness, a gloved hand suddenly grabbing the strap of the briefcase from her grip.
Clara spun around, kicking out blindly with her boot and catching her attacker square in the shin. The man cursed, losing his grip on the briefcase just long enough for Clara to snatch it back and plunge deeper into the ravine toward the roaring sound of a nearby river.
Back at the cabin, Julian pinned the lead intruder to the floor, tearing off the man's ski mask in a fit of fury. To his absolute shock, the face beneath belonged to none other than corporate security chief David Vance—Marcus and Arthur’s youngest brother.
May you like
David smirked, blood trickling from his split lip. "You're too late, Julian. Richard already has the primary backups."
---
