The tires of the van skidded against the worn pavement as they accelerated down an unpaved road, careening over every pothole like a ship struggling to navigate a hurricane. The darkness was heavy with tension, settling on them like a burden that would not relent. Raven maintained a vigilance on the rearview mirror, her heart racing in her ears.
No headlights. No tailgating vehicles.
At least for now.
Speak to me, Val," Dante instructed from the passenger side, his hand clenched on the dashboard. "We still clear?"
"Still clear," Valerie replied over the comms. "Took a side route through an abandoned industrial road just to be safe, but you need to keep moving. I don't trust the quiet.
"Yeah, well, I don't trust a damn thing right now," Raven grumbled, looking over her shoulder. The children they had rescued were crowded together behind her, their faces white, eyes big. Lucas sat next to them, saying something soothing, though his normal self-assurance was absent. Even he seemed shaken.
A small boy with unkempt dark hair hung onto Lucas's jacket. "Are they still coming?" he whispered.
Lucas paused, then gritted a smile. "Not if we're far enough ahead," he said. "And we will."
The van lurched forward into the night, its occupants holding on to the thinnest of threads of hope that they'd escaped at all.
It was almost dawn when they finally arrived at the safe house—a battered, ramshackle-looking cabin hidden deep in the woods, all but invisible unless you knew where to look.
Raven pulled up the van and let out a breath for what felt like the first time in hours. Her muscles were tight with tension, her brain cloudy with fatigue, but they weren't finished yet.
"Everyone out," she commanded. "Lucas, get the kids inside."
Lucas didn't protest, leading the kids through to the entrance of the cabin. The safe house wasn't much to speak of—a fortified hideaway Valerie had established years back, just in case, with emergency rations, a generator, and enough room to get out of sight for a little while.
Inside, Dante began to check the locks as Raven took out a med kit. The cabin reeked of dust and aged wood, but at least it was warm. The children were still shivering, curled up on the creaky couch.
Valerie's voice came through the comms, crackling. "You made it?"
"Yeah," Dante replied, massaging his temples. "For now."
"Good. You should keep low for a while—"
"We don't have time to lay low." Raven interrupted, pulling off her jacket. "We need to move before they regroup. They won't let this go, Val."
Lucas shot her a look. "You're still bleeding, by the way."
Raven glanced down at the dried blood on her sleeve, barely registering the dull ache in her shoulder. "I'm fine."
"No, you're not." Lucas took the med kit away from her and sat her down on a chair before she could complain. "Sit."
Dante laughed. "Man, I love when it's not me that gets lectured."
"Shut up, Dante."
Lucas unwrapped the bandage on her arm with care. "You keep tearing this thing open, and it's not gonna heal."
"Yeah, well, I didn't exactly have time to relax with some tea and a book," Raven grumbled, winching a little.
Lucas shook his head but remained silent. He simply worked in silence, re-bandaging the wound with skilled hands. Raven relaxed a little—until Valerie's voice came through the comms again.
"We have a problem."
Dante tensed. "What kind of problem?"
"Of the type where someone had leaked information," Valerie stated. "I overheard a message. They know our location. You must move. Now."
Raven and Dante looked at each other. They were out of time.