Chapter 7: The Ghost of the Past
"Get back inside, Mia! Now!" my father yelled over the comms.
I sprinted toward the back door, mud splashing against my boots. As I burst into the kitchen, my father was already dragging a heavy dining table to barricade the front entrance. The three mercenaries he had engaged were lying motionless in the yard, but the woods were suddenly alive with the red laser sights of at least a dozen more operatives.
"They brought a small army," my mother said as she emerged from the basement stairwell, carrying an assault rifle. "Frank, it’s Silas. I saw his face on the drone feed."
My father froze. The color drained from his face—a reaction I had never seen before.
"Who is Silas?" I asked, taking cover behind the kitchen island.
"He was my protégé," my father said grimly. "Before I retired, I trained him. He’s the syndicate’s top cleaner. If Silas is here, it means they aren't trying to capture us anymore. They're just here to burn the forest down."
Suddenly, the encrypted radio on the kitchen counter hummed to life.
"Hello, old man," a smooth, chilling voice echoed through the speaker. "I have to admit, I’m impressed. The leak was brilliant. But you and I both know you can't hold off my team forever. Send the girl out, and I promise you and Martha a quick death."
My father picked up the radio mic. "Silas. You always were arrogant. You forgot the first rule I taught you."
"Oh? And what's that?" Silas sneered.
"Never trap a desperate man," my father said. He looked at my mother and nodded.
My mother hit a red switch on a remote detonator.
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A massive explosion rocked the earth. The entire front yard—wired with C4 explosives buried under the driveway long before we arrived—erupted into a wall of fire and dirt. The blast shattered the cabin windows, sending us diving to the floor. The tree line, where Silas’s men had been hiding, was engulfed in chaos.
"Time to go," my father said, grabbing my arm. "Through the tunnels."
