The forest was dense, a thicket of twisted trees and snow-laden branches that reached toward the sky like the hands of ghosts. Aiden's breath was shallow, the cold air stinging his lungs as he pushed forward, heart racing, his thoughts a blur of fear and desperation. Every second, the helicopters above grew louder, their searchlights sweeping across the ground, drawing closer with each beat of the blades.
Serena was just behind him, her boots crunching in the snow as they followed the Watcher. The Watcher moved with eerie confidence, his body low and swift, navigating the forest as if he'd known it his whole life. Aiden glanced back at Serena, who was struggling to keep up, but her determination was evident. She wouldn't let him down, and neither would he.
They couldn't afford to stop. Not now. The moment they did, they would be exposed.
"Aiden, we need to slow down," Serena gasped, her voice tight with the strain of running. Her face was pale, her breath coming in clouds, but there was no time for concern. They couldn't afford to be caught in the open.
Aiden nodded, but he didn't stop. He couldn't. The helicopters were too close, and if they were seen, it was over.
"I know, but we can't. Not yet," he said, his voice low but firm.
The Watcher's eyes flicked back toward them for a split second before he disappeared deeper into the trees. He didn't need to say a word. They all knew the stakes. If they slowed down, if they were spotted by those helicopters, they would be dead before they could even blink.
The forest was their only hope now. It was their cover. The thick trees, the snow-dusted ground—it was all they had. They had to use it.
Aiden's mind raced. He didn't know who was after them, but the urgency of the situation left little room for questioning. The Watcher had led them this far, and Aiden had to trust him. The helicopters weren't just searching for them—they were hunting them. And the Watcher's cryptic words echoed in Aiden's mind: "Somewhere they won't think to look."
Where was that place? What was it?
The sound of the helicopters grew closer, the wind from their rotors whipping through the trees, pushing the snow in swirling gusts. Aiden's pulse quickened. He glanced up, his eyes darting through the forest canopy. The helicopters were circling, the searchlights scanning the ground. It wouldn't be long before they found them.
"Watcher," Aiden said, his voice urgent. "Where are we going?"
The Watcher's steps didn't falter as he answered. "We're almost there. Just keep moving."
Aiden wanted to argue, to press for answers, but the moment was too fragile. Every second counted, and asking questions now could get them killed. The only thing that mattered was staying alive.
Ahead of them, the trees began to thin. The Watcher's silhouette grew sharper against the fading light as they approached what appeared to be a clearing. It was a sharp contrast to the dense forest they had been navigating for hours. The moon was rising, casting an eerie glow over the land, and the wind had picked up, carrying the scent of something faintly metallic in the air.
"We're close," the Watcher said, his voice low. He slowed his pace, signaling for them to do the same.
Aiden looked around. The clearing was vast, a broad expanse of untouched snow, but the forest still bordered it on all sides, leaving a sense of isolation. There was something about it that didn't feel right—something he couldn't put his finger on. It was almost too quiet.
The helicopters hovered just above the treeline, their searchlights slashing through the darkening sky. Aiden's stomach twisted as he realized they were almost directly above them. The helicopter crew had to be getting a clear view of the clearing now.
"We need to get under cover," Aiden whispered urgently, but the Watcher held up a hand, signaling him to wait.
The Watcher's gaze locked onto the sky, his eyes narrowing as he observed the helicopters circling above. For a moment, he stood still, as if calculating something in his mind. Aiden's heart was racing. Every instinct screamed for them to run, to find cover and hide before they were spotted, but the Watcher wasn't moving.
Then, finally, the Watcher spoke again. "Now."
Without a second thought, Aiden and Serena followed his lead, sprinting across the clearing and into the dense trees on the opposite side. The snow crunched beneath their boots, their movement quick and precise, but they weren't fast enough to escape the gaze of the helicopters.
The searchlights swung around, bathing the clearing in blinding white light. Aiden's heart stopped as the beam landed directly on them, illuminating their figures against the dark backdrop of the trees. There was no hiding now. They had been seen.
The sound of the helicopters grew deafening as they descended. Aiden's pulse hammered in his ears, adrenaline flooding his body. His mind was racing, but all he could think of was survival. They couldn't let the helicopters land. If they did, it was over.
"Get ready," the Watcher said, his voice cold and controlled.
Aiden barely had time to react before the sound of gunfire echoed through the forest, sharp and sudden. Bullets ricocheted off the trees, narrowly missing them as they dove for cover. The Watcher's movements were fluid, graceful, as he pulled out a small, black device from his coat pocket. He pressed a button, and suddenly, a thick cloud of smoke erupted from the ground, enveloping them in a dense fog.
Aiden and Serena were blinded by the smoke, but the Watcher led them through it, his presence a guiding force in the chaos. The helicopters' searchlights cut through the smoke, but the thick fog created a veil between them and their pursuers.
"Stay low," the Watcher ordered. "Don't let them see you."
Aiden crouched low to the ground, Serena beside him, both of them struggling to keep their breathing silent as they moved through the smoke. The helicopters were close now, their shadows looming over the trees. But the Watcher's smoke screen was buying them time.
Aiden's mind raced. The Watcher had brought them here for a reason, but what was it? They couldn't just keep running from the helicopters forever. They needed a plan.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash, the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. A moment later, a shadow emerged from the smoke—a figure, tall and imposing, carrying something that glinted in the moonlight. It was a large weapon, almost too big for any man to wield with ease, but this figure moved with ease, as if it was made for them.
It was the Watcher.
He wasn't running from the fight. He was going to make his stand.
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