Chapter 5 - Safehouse Secrets
The tactical tablet screen flashed red as a countdown timer appeared: Location Compromised. Protocol Omega Active. David swore under his breath, slamming the lid of the tablet shut. There was no time to pack. He grabbed his tactical duffel bag from the corner, slinging it over his shoulder, and scooped Liam into his left arm while keeping his right hand firmly on Emily’s shoulder.
“We’re moving, kids. Fast and quiet,” David instructed, moving toward the heavy steel drainage grate at the back of the tunnel.
As they slipped out into the overcast afternoon, the distant rumble of heavy diesel engines echoed down the coastal highway. Two matte-black tactical vans bearing no license plates roared past the junction, slowing down as their searchlights swept across the perimeter of the shipyard. David pulled his children flat against the concrete retaining wall, holding his breath as the second vehicle’s spotlight swept inches over their heads. When the convoy finally rounded the corner toward the main gate, David motioned for Emily to follow him into the overgrown ravine leading up to the ridge. They needed to reach the old mountain cabin—the only place within fifty miles devoid of digital surveillance. But as they climbed the steep, rocky slope, Emily stumbled, gasping in pain as a sharp jagged stone sliced deeply into her ankle, leaving a bright trail of crimson on the dark soil.
