Chapter 7 - The Chase
The woods were a nightmare of slick mud, thorny underbrush, and freezing rain. Sarah, Miller, Leo, and the baby moved as fast as they could, but they were being hunted by professionals. Flashlight beams cut through the trees behind them, and the barking of the dogs grew louder.
"We can't outrun them with the kids," Miller whispered, his breath pluming in the cold air.
"We don't have to outrun them. We just have to lose the dogs," Sarah said. She pointed to a roaring, swollen creek ahead of them. "In the water. Now."
They waded into the freezing creek. The water was up to Sarah's waist. She held Maya high above her head while Miller carried Leo. They walked a grueling half-mile upstream, the icy water numbing their legs to the bone, before finally climbing out onto a rocky embankment.
The strategy worked. The flashlight beams swept past them on the opposite bank, the dogs losing the scent at the water's edge.
They collapsed on the rocks, shivering and exhausted. Leo was trembling so hard his teeth were chattering.
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"We can't stop," Sarah urged, forcing herself to stand. "The Blackwood Mill is only a few miles from here. If we take the ringleader down, the snake loses its head. It's the only way this ends."
Miller nodded, checking his ammo. "Let's go end this."
