The sound of pursuit was relentless. Caleb could hear it closing in—crunching boots on dirt, the snap of branches breaking in the distance. His lungs burned, his legs felt like lead, but he kept running, driven forward by the sheer force of adrenaline.


    Ahead of him, Evelyn moved like a shadow, weaving through the dense underbrush with practiced ease. Caleb stumbled over a root, cursing under his breath as he struggled to keep up.


    “Evelyn,” he called, his voice hoarse. “We can’t keep this up forever!”


    “We don’t have to,” Evelyn replied without looking back.


    Caleb frowned, glancing over his shoulder. The faint glow of flashlights bobbed in the distance, getting closer. “That’s not exactly comforting!”


    Evelyn slowed slightly, her gaze darting between the trees. She veered to the right, leading them toward a narrow stream that wound through the forest.


    “Here,” she said, dropping to her knees at the edge of the water.


    Caleb skidded to a stop, his chest heaving as he stared at her. “What the hell are you doing?”


    “Masking our trail,” Evelyn said, stepping into the shallow stream.


    “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Caleb muttered.


    Evelyn shot him a sharp look. “Do you want to keep arguing, or do you want to live?”


    Caleb groaned but followed her into the water. The icy cold bit at his ankles, but he gritted his teeth and pressed on, wading through the stream as Evelyn led the way.


    The sound of footsteps grew fainter as they moved, the rushing water muffling their movements. Caleb glanced over his shoulder, his nerves still on edge.


    “You think they’ll find us?” Caleb asked, his voice low.


    “Not for a while,” Evelyn replied.


    “That’s reassuring,” Caleb muttered.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Evelyn didn’t respond. She kept moving, her focus locked on the stream ahead.


    After what felt like an eternity, the stream opened into a wider clearing. The trees were thinner here, the moonlight casting long shadows across the ground. Evelyn stepped onto the bank, her boots squelching against the mud.


    “We can rest here,” she said, her voice quiet but firm.


    Caleb staggered out of the water, collapsing onto the damp grass. “Rest. Finally. That’s the first smart thing you’ve said all night.”


    Evelyn ignored him, scanning the tree line with sharp, deliberate movements. Her hand rested on the hilt of her knife, her posture tense.


    “Relax,” Caleb said, leaning back against a fallen log. “They’re not here.”


    “They will be,” Evelyn replied.


    The silence stretched between them, broken only by the faint sound of the stream. Caleb tilted his head back, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath.


    “You mind explaining who that guy was?” Caleb asked after a moment.


    Evelyn glanced at him briefly, her expression unreadable. “Carter.”


    “Yeah, I caught that much,” Caleb said. “What’s his deal?”


    “He works for the same people who killed the Keepers,” Evelyn said.


    Caleb frowned, sitting up slightly. “But he’s not a Keeper?”


    “No,” Evelyn said. “He’s a mercenary. The highest bidder gets his loyalty.”


    “Fantastic,” Caleb muttered. “And what’s he want with us?”


    Evelyn hesitated, her gaze drifting to the shadows. “He wants the key.”


    Caleb raised an eyebrow. “You mean the one we just risked our lives for? That key?”


    Evelyn nodded.


    “Great,” Caleb said, letting out a humorless laugh. “So now we’ve got two groups of psychos coming after us.”


    “It’s not just the key,” Evelyn said quietly.


    Caleb frowned. “What do you mean?”


    Evelyn didn’t answer.


    Before Caleb could press her, a faint sound caught his attention—the snap of a branch, deliberate and close. He froze, his hand drifting toward his gun.


    “Evelyn,” Caleb whispered, his voice tight.


    “I hear it,” Evelyn replied, her knife already in her hand.


    The sound grew louder, closer, until a figure stepped out of the shadows.


    Carter.


    He moved with the same unsettling ease as before, his pistol hanging loosely at his side. His dark jacket was damp with mud, but his posture was as sharp and controlled as ever.


    “You know,” Carter said, his voice smooth but laced with annoyance, “I was hoping you’d make this easy for me.”


    Evelyn stepped forward, placing herself between Caleb and Carter. Her knife glinted faintly in the moonlight, steady in her grip. “Stay back.”


    Carter raised an eyebrow, his smirk faint but mocking. “You think that little toy’s going to stop me?”


    “You want the key,” Evelyn said, her voice cold. “You’re not getting it.”


    Carter chuckled, shaking his head. “You always were stubborn. But this isn’t about the key, Evelyn.”


    Evelyn’s eyes narrowed. “Then what is it about?”


    Carter’s smirk widened, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he gestured to the shadows behind him. Caleb’s stomach sank as more figures stepped into the clearing—six, maybe seven men, their weapons trained on him and Evelyn.


    “You’re outnumbered,” Carter said, his tone casual. “Why don’t we skip the theatrics and have a little chat?”