Shattered Refuge

Chaos erupted as the cabin splintered under the assault. Lena stumbled backward, her heart pounding like a drum. Every instinct screamed at her to run, but her legs felt frozen as Caleb and Ethan fought to hold off the intruders.

“Move, Lena!” Ethan barked, his voice cutting through the cacophony of gunfire.

Caleb turned his head just enough to shoot her a warning look. “Now, Lena! Go!”

The sharp edge in their voices snapped her out of her daze. She turned, rushing toward the narrow hallway that led to the back of the cabin. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid scent of gunpowder, but her focus was singular: survival.

As she reached the hallway, she heard Caleb curse loudly. “They’re flanking us!”

Ethan’s response was clipped. “Hold them off. I’ll get her out.”