Chapter 18: Shadows Of Retaliation

The air was suffocating with tension as Grant, Williams, and Emily huddled behind the barricaded door. 

Every creak of the floorboards, every rustle of leaves outside seemed amplified in the suffocating silence.

"We need to move," Grant whispered, scanning the room for an escape route. "They'll breach the house soon."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emily's hands trembled slightly as she gripped the flashlight. "How did they find us? I thought this place was off the grid."

Grant's jaw tightened. "Someone tipped them off, or they've been tracking us longer than we thought."

Williams glanced toward the back of the house. "Is there another way out?"

Grant nodded. "There's a cellar that leads to the woods. It's narrow, but it's our best shot."

A sudden crash shattered the fragile calm as the front window exploded inward. 

Shards of glass rained down, and a dark figure began climbing through.