The weight of their escape still lingered as Aidi and Liam hurried through the dense forest, their breaths coming in sharp gasps. The cool night air clung to their skin, and the rustle of leaves beneath their feet seemed deafening in the silence of the woods. Hetri's men weren't far behind—they could still hear faint shouts in the distance.
"We need to keep moving," Liam said, his voice low but urgent.
Aidi nodded, clutching the locket in her hand as if it were the last shred of hope she had. Her muscles burned, but she pushed through the exhaustion. They had no choice.
"How far to the safehouse?" she asked, her voice breaking the quiet.
"Not far," Liam replied, glancing back over his shoulder. "If we can make it to the ridge without being seen, we'll be okay."
The ridge. It loomed ahead like a silhouette against the moonlit sky, steep and treacherous. Aidi's heart sank at the thought of climbing it, but there was no other option. She adjusted her grip on the locket, its sharp edges digging into her palm, grounding her.
As they reached the base of the ridge, Liam stopped abruptly, holding up a hand for silence. Aidi froze, straining to hear what had caught his attention.
Footsteps.
They were close, too close.
Liam motioned for her to follow as he crouched low, leading her to a cluster of boulders partially hidden by the underbrush. They pressed themselves against the cold rock, their breathing shallow as the footsteps grew louder.
Three figures emerged from the shadows, their flashlights cutting through the darkness. Aidi's stomach clenched as she recognized one of Hetri's enforcers—a tall, wiry man with a scar running down his cheek.
"They couldn't have gotten far," the scarred man said, his voice a harsh whisper. "Spread out and check the area."
Aidi's fingers tightened around the locket. She couldn't let them find her, couldn't let them take her back. She felt Liam's hand on her arm, a silent reassurance that they would get through this.
The enforcers moved in different directions, their flashlights sweeping over the terrain. One beam came dangerously close to their hiding spot, and Aidi held her breath, her heart hammering in her chest.
The man with the flashlight hesitated, his light lingering on the boulders. For a terrifying moment, Aidi thought he'd seen them. But then he turned away, muttering something under his breath.
When the footsteps finally faded, Liam exhaled softly. "We have to move now. They'll circle back."
Aidi nodded, and they began their ascent, the steep incline forcing them to use their hands and feet. The loose rocks made every step precarious, and more than once Aidi's foot slipped, sending small cascades of pebbles tumbling down the slope.
By the time they reached the top, her arms and legs felt like jelly, but the sight before them gave her a momentary burst of relief. Nestled in a small clearing below was a cabin, its windows glowing faintly with light.
"The safehouse," Liam said, his voice filled with quiet triumph.
They made their way down the other side of the ridge, their pace quick but cautious. When they reached the cabin, Liam knocked on the door in a specific pattern—three quick taps, a pause, then two more.
The door creaked open, and a man in his late thirties stepped out, his face weathered but kind.
"Liam," the man said, pulling him into a quick embrace. "I was starting to worry."
"Sorry, Julian," Liam replied. "We ran into some trouble."
Julian's gaze shifted to Aidi, his expression softening. "You must be Aidi. Come inside, both of you."
The cabin's interior was modest but warm, a stark contrast to the cold, unforgiving forest outside. Aidi sank into a chair near the fireplace, the heat soothing her aching muscles.
Julian handed her a cup of tea, and she accepted it gratefully. "Thank you," she murmured, her hands trembling slightly as she brought the cup to her lips.
"So," Julian said, taking a seat across from them. "What's the plan now?"
Liam glanced at Aidi, then back at Julian. "We have the locket. Now we need to figure out how to use it."
Julian's brow furrowed. "Do you even know what's inside?"
"No," Aidi admitted, pulling the locket from her pocket. "But whatever it is, Hetri is willing to kill to keep it hidden."
Julian studied the locket for a moment before nodding. "Then it must be something big. Let me see if I can open it."
Aidi handed him the locket, watching as he examined it closely. It didn't have an obvious clasp or hinge, but Julian's nimble fingers worked at the edges, searching for a hidden mechanism.
After several tense minutes, there was a soft click, and the locket sprang open. Inside was a tiny USB drive, no larger than a fingernail.
"A USB?" Liam said, leaning forward.
Julian nodded. "Whatever's on here, it must be important. Do you have a laptop?"
Liam shook his head. "We had to leave everything behind."
Julian stood, moving to a small desk in the corner of the room. He returned with an old but functional laptop, plugging the USB drive into one of the ports.
The screen flickered to life, and a folder appeared. Inside were dozens of files—documents, videos, and audio recordings. Julian clicked on one of the videos, and they watched in stunned silence as the screen filled with footage of Hetri himself, sitting in an opulent office and speaking to a group of men.
"This operation is bigger than any of you realize," Hetri said, his voice cold and calculating. "If we succeed, we'll control everything—politics, finance, even the media. No one will stand in our way."
Aidi felt a chill run down her spine. This was more than she'd expected, more than she'd prepared for.
"We have to expose this," she said, her voice steady despite the fear churning in her gut.
Julian nodded. "We will. But we'll need to be careful. Hetri won't go down without a fight."
Liam placed a hand on Aidi's shoulder. "We'll see this through. Together."
Aidi met his gaze, her resolve hardening. She wasn't sure what the future held, but she knew one thing: she wouldn't stop until Hetri's empire crumbled.