Chapter 14: Into the Fog
258 Words
The man in the doorway hesitated. If the data was already public, killing us wouldn't stop the world from seeing Julian Thorne's crimes. Silas took advantage of that split second. He grabbed a heavy piece of wood from the fire and threw it toward the feet of the mercenaries, creating a wall of sparks and smoke.
"The back window, Ava! Go!" Silas commanded.
I didn't think. I scrambled through the small window, falling into the deep, biting snow outside. Silas was right behind me. We didn't head back to the boat; Thorne’s men would be waiting there. Instead, we ran into the thick, grey fog of the woods.
My lungs felt like they were filled with needles, and my bare feet were numb, but the adrenaline kept me moving. Behind us, we could hear the men shouting, their flashlights cutting through the mist like ghost fingers.
"They're losing us," Silas whispered, pulling me behind a massive oak tree. He was breathing hard, his eyes scanning the treeline. "The fog is too thick for the helicopter to see us."
"Where are we going?" I asked, shivering violently.
"There's an old ranger station a mile north. We can get a radio there and call for help. If that upload went through, the authorities are already looking for Thorne."
He looked down at me, noticing my frozen feet for the first time. Without a word, he pulled off his own heavy jacket and wrapped it around me, then lifted me into his arms. "Just a little further, Ava. I've got you."
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