Chapter 12: The Siege in the Snow
The headlights of two heavy black SUVs swept across the windows of the stone cabin, bathing the living room in blinding artificial light. The doors of the vehicles slammed shut, followed by the crunch of heavy boots on the frozen gravel outside.
Julian moved instantly, locking the heavy timber front door and drawing a solid iron deadbolt. He gestured urgently to Professor Sterling and Maeve. "They found us. Back exit, now. Head for the tree line."
"What about the transmission?" Sterling asked, grabbing a portable encrypted hard drive from the desk. "It reached ninety-nine percent before the blackout. The grand jury has the core files, but the audit logs are still on this drive."
"Bring it," Julian commanded, handing Maeve her tattered brown coat—now stripped of its secret lining but still serving as a familiar comfort. "Stay close to me, Maeve. Do not look back."
They slipped out the rear kitchen door into the freezing Vermont night, the falling snow instantly muffling their footsteps as they plunged into the dense pine forest. Behind them, the front door of the cabin splintered inward with a deafening crash as Marcus Vance’s operatives forced their entry.
"Over there! In the trees!" a harsh voice shouted from the cabin porch.
Beam lights cut wildly through the falling snow, sweeping across the clearing. Julian shielded Maeve with his body, navigating the treacherous, snow-drifted terrain while carrying Leo securely in a tactical sling Sterling had provided.
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They scrambled down a steep embankment into a natural ravine, half-sliding through the snow until they were hidden beneath the sprawling branches of a massive hemlock tree. Panting heavily, Maeve tried to keep Leo from crying, pressing a soft cloth against his mouth to muffle any sound.
Above them, the crunch of boots grew closer. Flashlights swept the ridge just above their hiding spot. Julian readied a heavy hunting flashlight he had grabbed from the cabin, his muscles tense, prepared to fight to his last breath to protect the children.
