"Shhh..."
Just as Sparrow was about to unleash an angry roar and fight back, a firm hand suddenly covered his lips, signaling him to stay silent. His head snapped to the side in reflex—so fast it nearly felt like he might dislocate his own neck.
A jolt of realization struck him when he felt a grip on his collar. This wasn't just something—someone had caught him.
His eyes widened as he met the person's gaze, his mouth parting to speak again, but the stranger swiftly gestured for silence. Then, using a series of hand signals—ones only known to the Winters' men—he gave Sparrow a silent command: Climb the tree beside us.
Sparrow hesitated for only a moment before following the man's gaze upward. That's when he saw them—several figures perched among the branches like silent sentinels, their forms blending into the shadows. They sat poised like watchful predators, waiting.
