Chapter 4 - The Sins of the Father
Mark stared at the glowing phone screen in complete disbelief.
He frantically asked his wife how she managed to get a phone while being held hostage.
She explained that she had killed one of her captors and stolen his communication device.
She revealed that she had secretly been gathering evidence against Arthur's criminal syndicate for years.
The flash drive she possessed contained enough financial data to put Arthur away for multiple lifetimes.
She begged Mark to keep their son safe and to never come looking for her.
The call abruptly disconnected, leaving Mark in the suffocating silence of the dark forest.
He realized his wife had intentionally staged the fight in the kitchen to draw attention away from the hidden drive.
She had sacrificed her own freedom to protect the evidence and their child.
Mark knew he could not simply abandon the woman he loved to die at the hands of a monster.
He picked Jake up and carried him for miles through the freezing, unforgiving terrain.
They finally reached the edge of the woods where an old, rusted gas station stood abandoned.
Mark broke a window to get inside and scavenged for basic first aid supplies and water.
He treated his son's bruises and promised him that this nightmare would end soon.
He knew he needed a secure location to leave Jake while he went after his wife.
He decided to contact David, his oldest and most trusted military friend who lived nearby.
They hiked for another hour before reaching David's secluded hunting cabin in the valley.
Mark knocked heavily on the thick wooden door, desperate for shelter.
David opened the door holding a pump-action shotgun, looking tired but alert.
He took one look at Mark's battered face and immediately ushered them inside the warm cabin.
Mark set his son down on the couch and began to explain the horrific situation.
He asked David for weapons, a vehicle, and a promise to guard Jake with his life.
David listened quietly, his face entirely unreadable in the dim firelight.
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He slowly raised the barrel of the shotgun and pointed it directly at Mark's chest.
David apologized quietly, stating that Arthur had just paid off his daughter's medical debt in full.
