Chapter 5 - Fire in the Woods
The tear gas burned my lungs instantly, making it impossible to breathe.
My father grabbed wet towels from the kitchen and threw them over our faces.
"We cannot stay here," my father yelled over the sound of breaking glass.
I helped Lacey to her feet, supporting her weight despite my own heavy, pregnant belly.
My father kicked open the secret cellar door hidden beneath the dining room rug.
We scrambled down the wooden steps into the dark, damp earth beneath the cabin.
Flames began to roar above us as Damon's men set the wooden structure on fire.
The cellar connected to an old prohibition-era drainage pipe that led into the forest.
We crawled through the muddy, narrow tunnel for what felt like an eternity.
My stomach cramped with pain, but the fear of Damon kept me moving forward.
We finally emerged near a freezing river, a mile away from the burning cabin.
The night air was bitterly cold, and Lacey was losing too much blood to continue.
"They have thermal drones," my father whispered, pointing at a red blinking light in the sky.
"They will spot us in minutes if we stay together."
My father handed me the encrypted flash drive and the keys to his hidden truck parked nearby.
"Take her to the city and get this to the FBI," my father ordered, loading his rifle.
"Dad, no, I am not leaving you," I sobbed, clutching his coat tightly.
"I am going to buy you some time," he said, kissing my forehead softly.
He turned and ran back toward the burning cabin, firing his weapon into the air to draw their attention.
I dragged Lacey toward the truck as the sound of a massive shootout echoed through the valley.
I started the engine, tears blinding my vision, praying my father would survive the night.
Then, my cell phone buzzed with an incoming video call from an unknown number.
May you like
I answered it, and my heart completely stopped.
Damon was smiling at the camera, and my bleeding father was tied to a chair behind him.
