Chapter 2

CRACK!CRACK!CRACK!

Gunshots shattered the stillness. Adam along with Lila remained motionless. The birds stopped singing. The breeze turned cold.

CRACK!CRACK!CRACK!

Another shots.

Their heads turned in unison — toward the cliff. Their house. The sound was distant... but close enough. Close enough to know exactly where it came from.

"Adam..." Lila's voice was barely a whisper.

Then — screams. One male. Then two. Four females. Then silence. The world seemed to experience a cut in sound after someone used a knife to eliminate it. Screams that didn't last. Screams that were ended. Adam didn't hesitate. He grabbed her hand.

"Come on!" The pair ran with their feet pounding against the rocky path which led to the cliffside stairs. The lake's happy noises disappeared from their perception as they listened to nearby sounds of disorder including voices and gunfire and breaking objects and dying sounds. When they reached the foot of the staircase Adam pulled Lila into hiding behind a large rock while both were out of breath. Voices. Rough. Angry. Men shouting. Swearing. Moving. Adam's heart thundered in his chest.

"Stay low," he whispered. "Quiet." The pair ascended with extreme caution by hugging the cliff wall while each gunshot made them jump. The distance they climbed enabled them to hear the voices more distinctly.

And then— "You've had your time, Gregory... I'm done living in your shadow. Things are different now. I'm in charge." Adam froze mid-step. He knew that voice. Cold. Cruel. Familiar. "Who… was that?" Lila whispered. Adam didn't answer. The deep voice of Adam's father emerged afterwards speaking in a defeated yet furious tone.

"They're playing you, Nicholas…" Then — CRASH. Something heavy. Slamming into the floor. Followed by shouting. Chaos. A violent struggle. During that moment Lila held onto his arm while she whispered to him "What's going on?" Adam's mind raced. This wasn't a robbery. This wasn't a fight. This was betrayal. Adam whispered in a shaking tone to remain stationary while warning her not to move from that spot. "No — Adam—" "Lila. Stay." He left her hidden from view while his heart pounded in his ears along with his weak legs. He needed to go toward the villa even though his instincts fought him because he had to see.

I must understand everything. And then he saw it. Blood. Everywhere. Servants. Security. Collapsed. Motionless. Evelyn lay on the polished floor with her dress covered in crimson blood as she faced an empty gaze. Her eyes stared at nothing. Lifeless. Adam's breath caught. He couldn't move.

The killer stood close to his father while his chest displayed a deep red bloodstain. Gregory's eyes — fading, struggling — locked onto Adam's. His lips moved, barely. "Take care... of her…" Then… nothing. His head fell forward. Still. The death of Gregory Cooper had occurred. Adam's legs buckled, but he didn't fall. The young man stood motionless in a state of utter shock and despair. And standing over the bodies was Nicholas. Their uncle. Now a monster in plain sight. He stood in the middle of armed men in black, rifles pointing down and their faces expressionless.

"NOOOO! MOM! DAD!" Lila's scream ripped through the silence. She rushed from her position to join Adam beside him where she held onto him desperately like a life preserver. Adam hadn't been seen yet, but now all eyes were on them. His voice broke as he spoke to her:

"Lila—" She couldn't stop crying. "No! No! Mommy—!" Her scream tore at Adam's soul. It shattered whatever was left of his fear. He had to move.

We must run. He thought, " Lila we need to leave now!" "But—" "RUN!" He pushed her toward the back door while gesturing toward the trees which lay ahead. "Don't look back!" She hesitated before locking eyes on their parents before her body shook as she sprinted into the forest shadows. Nicholas roared for the mercenaries to attack. His mercenaries surged forward. Adam suffered from intense chest fear yet he chose to flee while avoiding Lila entirely.

Away from her. I must lead the group into the wrong direction. Protect her from detection at all costs. He thought as bullets cracked the air. Dirt burst at his heels. He ducked while running through hedges before jumping across the garden wall. His lungs screamed. His legs threatened to give out. But he didn't stop. The lake came into view.

As he neared the lake, he risked a glance back — Nicholas's men were gaining. Adam didn't hesitate. Reaching the cliff's edge, he took one last breath and hurled himself into the black water below. The fall felt endless.

Then— splash. The lake swallowed him whole.

The icy lake hit him like knives. He plunged deep, bullets slicing into the water around him. Kicking hard, he swam beneath the surface, fighting the urge to breathe, praying they wouldn't see him.

But exhaustion crept in fast. Disoriented. Numb.

Crack!.

Pain exploded in his skull as he collided with a hidden rock beneath the surface.

His limbs went limp.

The world spun. And darkness hugged him, wrapped around him like chains.

The last thing he felt — was pain.

Then… nothing.

Above him, the mercenaries scanned the surface, rifles ready. But he had drifted out of sight… further… further…

The group member mumbled "Boss… one kid jumped, ...and the... we lost the other one." while looking at the surface. "Those kids likely did not make it through because there are alligators in the water." "They probably didn't survive. There's gators in there… no way those kids made it."

"Silence!" Nicholas clenched his jaw. "You complete idiots... he spoke with a deadly tone. "Do you understand what you've done?. if those rats survived, that would turn into major problems for me." He drew his pistol. Fired. The sound of the pistol created a single loud crack that echoed through the air. The mercenary fell dead.

No warning.

No mercy.

Just silence.

Nicholas returned his weapon to its holster as he stared at the other men with anger. "Burn everything. Wipe it clean. Leave nothing the cops can use. And you better pray those little devils are dead." The group members carried out their duties wordlessly while performing their tasks with cold precision. Erasing evidence. Removing bodies. Scrubbing prints.

The Cooper residence which used to be filled with laughter and music and love transformed into a death trap. The house showed bloodstains across its surfaces. The hallways resounded with complete silence. Its heart, gone. The Cooper family villa which had been a place of peace became a slaughterhouse.