Chapter 7 - The Hunt
The absolute shock of Damen's horrifying confession completely paralyzed my entire body.
My husband Julian had tragically died in a massive warehouse explosion exactly six years ago, just weeks before Ellie was even born.
"Julian is completely dead, Damen, I saw his burned body with my own eyes," I argued desperately, refusing to accept the nightmare.
Damen forcefully grabbed my shoulders, shaking me slightly to snap me out of my dangerous, delusional denial.
"He entirely faked his own death to quietly assassinate the old cartel bosses and forcefully steal control of their entire empire," Damen explained rapidly.
Before I could even attempt to process the horrific betrayal, the terrifying sound of deep, aggressive barking echoed through the dark trees behind us.
The rival cartel had officially unleashed their highly trained hunting hounds to track our scent through the dense, muddy woods.
"They are getting dangerously close," Anthony warned, expertly checking the heavy ammunition magazine in his tactical pistol.
Atlas let out a deafening, terrifying roar, completely placing his massive body between us and the rapidly approaching sound of the enemy dogs.
Three massive, snarling Dobermans violently burst through the thick brush, charging directly toward Ellie with lethal intent.
Atlas did not hesitate for a single fraction of a second, aggressively launching himself completely into the violent fray.
The brutal sounds of tearing flesh and agonizing canine yelps echoed terrifyingly through the silent, freezing forest.
"Keep running right now, do not look back!" Anthony yelled, forcefully pushing me and Ellie forward through the thick trees.
We desperately scrambled up a steep, muddy embankment, completely relying on pure adrenaline to fuel our exhausted muscles.
After a terrifying, breathless sprint, we finally broke through the dense treeline and spotted an old, abandoned wooden hunting cabin.
Damen was bleeding heavily from his mouth again, the horrible poison continuing to violently ravage his weakened system.
We frantically rushed toward the heavy wooden door of the cabin, desperately hoping to find a temporary, safe sanctuary inside.
Anthony kicked the heavy door open with his massive boot, immediately raising his weapon to sweep the dark interior.
I gasped in absolute horror when a blinding, powerful spotlight suddenly clicked on from the dark corner of the dusty room.
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A tall, menacing figure was sitting casually in a dusty armchair, holding a highly customized, lethal sniper rifle directly aimed at Damen's head.
It was absolutely not one of the cartel mercenaries, but rather another high-ranking member of Damen's own trusted security detail.
