Chapter 6 - Into the Woods
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The door flew open, and the cold rain lashed against Sophia’s face. Dominic provided covering fire, his gun roaring over the storm as Sophia scrambled out, clutching Lily.
"Run!" he commanded.
Sophia didn't hesitate. She sprinted into the dense, dark woods, her feet slipping on the muddy ground. Branches whipped at her face and tore her dress, but she held onto her child with superhuman strength. Behind her, the sounds of shouting and gunfire echoed like a warzone.
She ran until her lungs burned and her legs gave out, collapsing into a small hollow beneath the roots of an ancient oak tree. She covered Lily’s mouth, trying to quiet the toddler’s whimpers.
"Shh, baby. We have to play hide and seek now," Sophia whispered, tears mixing with the rain on her face.
Footsteps crunched in the wet leaves nearby. Heavy boots. Flashlights swept through the trees, the beams cutting through the fog.
"Find them!" a voice barked. "Alessandro wants the kid alive, but put a bullet in the mother!"
Sophia pressed herself deeper into the mud, closing her eyes. She prayed to whatever God was listening. The flashlight beam swept over the roots of her tree. The footsteps stopped right above her.
Suddenly, a muffled grunt broke the silence, followed by the sickening thud of a body hitting the ground.
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A dark figure slid down the muddy embankment into the hollow. Sophia almost screamed, but a large, bloody hand clamped over her mouth.
"It's me," Dominic whispered, his chest heaving. Blood was pouring from a deep cut on his forehead. "I've got you."
