Chapter 11
Leo scrambled backward out of the low opening, dragging the heavy metal lockbox with him into the muddy clearing. As soon as he cleared the concrete slab, he bolted upright and sprinted toward the treeline where Sarah was waiting anxiously in the dark.
"Did you get it?" Sarah asked, grabbing his arm as soon as he reached her, pulling him into the cover of the pine trees.
"I've got it," Leo panted, clutching the lockbox tightly. "Where's Dad?"
Before Sarah could answer, the sharp beam of a flashlight cut through the darkness behind them, illuminating the clearing where Leo had just emerged. An angry shout rang out from the ruins. "Hey! Kid! Stop right there!"
"Run!" Sarah yelled, pushing Leo ahead of her as they plunged back into the dark, tangled forest, relying entirely on the narrow beam of their remaining flashlight to navigate the treacherous trail.
Branches whipped against their faces, and mud sucked at their boots, but they didn't dare slow down. Behind them, crashing footsteps echoed through the woods as the two men gave chase, their aggressive shouts growing closer with every passing second.
"Sarah! Leo!" a familiar voice called out from the dark ahead.
Mark stepped out from behind a massive pine tree, breathing heavily, his shirt torn at the shoulder from his escape through the swamp. He quickly grabbed them both, pulling them off the main trail into a deep ravine hidden by thick ferns and briars.
They dropped down low into the damp hollow, holding their breath as the sound of the pursuers' footsteps thundered past their hiding spot on the trail above. The men's flashlights swept wildly across the canopy overhead, casting erratic beams of light through the branches before the sound of their boots slowly faded off toward the northern ridge.
"Are you okay?" Mark whispered frantically, checking Leo and Sarah over in the dim light of the ravine.
"I'm fine, and I got the box," Leo said, holding up the heavy metal lockbox for them to see.
"Good work," Mark said, his expression grim as he wiped mud from his forehead. "We can't go back to the house. They know we were there, and they'll be waiting for us."
"Then where do we go?" Sarah asked, her voice steady despite the overwhelming danger surrounding them.
"My father's old hunting cabin," Mark said, helping them to their feet. "It's five miles deep into the ridge. Nobody goes out there."
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They navigated the dark forest for over an hour, finally reaching a dilapidated wooden cabin half-hidden by overgrown ivy. Mark unlocked the heavy wooden door with a rusty key retrieved from a hidden spot beneath the porch, ushering Sarah and Leo inside before locking it securely behind them.
Inside the dusty, single-room cabin, Mark lit an old oil lamp on the wooden table. The warm, flickering light illuminated the rustic interior filled with old hunting gear and dusty maps. Leo placed the heavy metal lockbox down on the center table, stepping back as Mark pulled a small set of lock-picks from his jacket pocket to open it.
