The hills loomed dark and foreboding, the quiet suffocating as Grant's team crouched low behind the tree line, their eyes locked on the secluded cabin.
The soft pulsing glow from within had set everyone on edge, each heartbeat thrumming in the shared silence.
Every instinct told them this was more than a simple hideout.
Grant's radio crackled softly. "Emily and I are in position," Damien's voice came through, low but clear.
Grant glanced at Williams. "Stay sharp," he muttered, then pressed the radio to his lips. "Copy that. Maintain visuals. No moves until we're sure."
But as his words faded into the night, the sound of tires crunching gravel shattered the fragile calm.
A black SUV rolled slowly up the dirt path toward the cabin. Its headlights were off, the engine purring softly as it came to a stop just a few feet from the porch.
