Chapter 5 - The Cabin in the Woods
I drove for three hours into the dense, isolated mountains bordering the city limits.
The old hunting cabin had belonged to my late first wife, Leo's biological mother.
No one else in the world knew about this place except for me and my son.
I parked a mile down the dirt road and hiked the rest of the way through the thick pine trees.
I approached the wooden porch silently, keeping the heavy tire iron raised and ready to strike.
The front door suddenly swung open, and Maria stepped out holding a very professional, military-grade handgun.
She lowered the weapon when she recognized my face, letting out a massive sigh of relief.
I rushed inside and found Leo sitting safely by the fireplace, drinking a cup of warm hot chocolate.
I hugged my son tighter than I ever had before, crying tears of pure, overwhelming gratitude.
When I finally stood up, I looked at Maria and demanded to know who she really was.
She calmly ejected the magazine from her weapon and checked the ammunition.
She confessed that she was never actually a nanny at all.
She was an elite private investigator hired by my late wife years ago.
My first wife had suspected Arthur was corrupt before she died, and she paid Maria to watch over Leo from the shadows.
Maria had staged the motel room with fake blood to throw Elena's hired thugs off their trail.
I was completely stunned by the incredible foresight and love of the woman I had lost.
I asked Maria how we were going to get my stolen company and my reputation back.
She explained that Arthur kept a master digital ledger of all his illegal transactions in an offline vault.
Before she could finish her sentence, the loud hum of a drone engine echoed outside the cabin window.
May you like
A blinding spotlight suddenly illuminated the entire living room.
A voice echoed from a megaphone outside, commanding us to surrender the child and step into the light.
