Chapter 11 - The Long Walk Through Darkness
The root cellar was narrow, damp, and smelled of earth and ancient stone. Clara led Arthur through the pitch-black tunnel, using the flashlight from Lawson’s spare belt. Every step was painful for Arthur, whose body had been weakened by years of confinement and forced sedation, but Clara never let go of his hand.
"I'm sorry, Clara," Arthur whispered as they navigated a steep incline inside the earth. "I failed as a father. I couldn't protect you."
"You didn't fail me, Dad," Clara said softly, holding the beam of light steady on the uneven ground. "You stayed alive. You kept fighting. That’s all I ever needed from you."
Behind them, the muffled sound of gunshots echoed down the tunnel—Lawson and his deputies were holding off Richard’s men at the cabin, creating enough noise to mask their escape.
After twenty minutes of strenuous climbing, Clara pushed open a rusted iron hatch hidden beneath a thick carpet of pine needles and rotting leaves. Cold night air and rain rushed in. They stepped out onto the edge of the logging trail, free from the immediate perimeter of the cabin.
Standing in the clearing, waiting under the dripping trees, was a single vehicle with its parking lights on.
May you like
Clara pulled her father back into the shadows, her instincts sharp. But as the driver’s door opened, a familiar figure stepped out holding a black umbrella.
It was Guard Martinez.
