The sound of footsteps outside froze us in place. My heart pounded in my chest, adrenaline surging through my veins. Lila's face went pale, her eyes wide with terror. She didn't need to say it—I knew exactly what she was thinking. If someone had found her, we didn't stand a chance.
Tyler moved first, his instincts sharp. He grabbed the stack of papers from the table and shoved them into his bag, zipping it up quickly. "We need to move. Now."
Lila looked paralyzed with fear, her gaze darting to the door. "It's him," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "It's Archer."
The name sent a wave of cold dread down my spine. Archer West. Thorne's enforcer, the man who made people disappear. I hadn't seen him, but his reputation alone was enough to terrify anyone who crossed his path. If he was here, we were in serious danger.
Tyler grabbed my arm, snapping me out of my fear. "We don't have time, Emily. We have to go."
I nodded, my body reacting before my mind could catch up. Lila was still frozen, her eyes locked on the door. "Lila," I said, grabbing her by the shoulders. "You need to come with us. We can't stay here."
She shook her head violently, tears brimming in her eyes. "He'll find me. He always finds me."
"We won't let that happen," I said, my voice firm despite the terror gnawing at me. "But we can't help you if you stay here. You need to trust us."
For a moment, I thought she might refuse, but then she nodded, trembling as she moved toward the back door. Tyler had already scoped out the cabin, and he led us quickly through the rear exit. The cold night air hit me like a slap, jolting me into action. We were out, but we weren't safe. Not yet.
We hurried through the woods, the thick branches and underbrush making it difficult to move quietly. My breath came in shallow gasps, the fear of being caught propelling me forward. Lila stumbled behind us, her panic overwhelming her, but Tyler kept her moving, his grip firm on her arm.
The footsteps behind us grew louder, closer, as we ducked through the trees. Whoever was following us wasn't far. They were moving fast, and they weren't trying to hide it. Every crack of a branch, every crunch of leaves underfoot sent my heart into overdrive.
"This way," Tyler hissed, pulling us toward a path that wound deeper into the woods. His eyes were scanning the terrain, searching for anything that could give us an advantage.
I glanced over my shoulder, my pulse spiking when I saw a figure moving through the trees behind us—tall, dark, and relentless. Archer.
My breath hitched. He was gaining on us, and we weren't moving fast enough. "Tyler," I whispered frantically, "he's right behind us."
Tyler's eyes flashed with urgency. "We need to split up. He'll follow the noise."
"No!" Lila gasped, her voice trembling. "We can't—"
"We don't have a choice," Tyler interrupted. "Emily, take Lila and head toward the creek. Stay low and keep moving. I'll draw him away."
"Are you crazy?" I hissed, grabbing his arm. "You'll be caught!"
Tyler's expression hardened. "I'll be fine. Just go."
There was no time to argue. I nodded, adrenaline surging as I grabbed Lila's arm and pulled her toward the creek, moving as fast as we could without making too much noise. My mind raced, every part of me screaming to run faster, to escape the deadly shadow chasing us.
Behind us, I heard Tyler moving in the opposite direction, crashing through the woods deliberately, drawing Archer's attention away from us. It was a dangerous gamble, but it was the only chance we had.
The sound of his pursuit faded as Lila and I slipped deeper into the woods, the creek coming into view. We crouched behind a large rock, both of us panting from the effort, our ears straining to hear any sign of danger.
Lila's body shook with fear, and I squeezed her arm gently, trying to keep her calm. "We'll be okay," I whispered, though I wasn't sure if I believed it. "We just need to wait."
Minutes passed like hours, the tension unbearable. My heart pounded so loudly in my ears that it drowned out the sounds of the forest. Every snap of a twig, every rustle of leaves made me jump. I had no idea where Tyler was, or if he was safe. All I could do was hope that Archer had followed him far enough away for us to escape.
Suddenly, there was a faint sound behind us—footsteps. My blood ran cold. Archer had found us.
I pulled Lila closer, my mind scrambling for a plan. We couldn't outrun him, not in this state. But maybe… maybe we could outsmart him.
I motioned for Lila to stay quiet as I slowly peeked around the rock. The figure was getting closer, his silhouette unmistakable. Archer was methodical, moving with the precision of someone who had done this countless times before.
I clenched my fists, panic surging through me. We had to move. Now.
Just as I was about to signal Lila, another sound—this one louder—cut through the night. A distant shout. Tyler. He was still out there, distracting Archer.
Archer's head snapped in the direction of the noise, and without hesitation, he turned and moved toward it.
I let out a shaky breath, relief washing over me. Tyler had bought us more time.
"We need to go," I whispered to Lila, pulling her up. "Now."
We moved quickly but quietly, making our way through the trees and toward the main road. My heart still raced, knowing that Archer wasn't far, knowing that Tyler was risking everything to keep us safe.
When we finally reached the road, the relief was almost overwhelming. I flagged down the first car I saw, a truck driven by an older man who looked more confused than alarmed.
"Please," I begged. "We need to get out of here."
The man nodded and let us in. As we drove off, I couldn't stop glancing back at the woods, my thoughts consumed with one thing: Tyler. We had made it out, but he was still in there. Alone.
And Archer was hunting him.