Chapter 5 - Fire in the Snow
The cartel soldiers moved with terrifying efficiency, kicking in the cabin’s front door.
Evelyn lay completely flat against the wooden floorboards of the treehouse.
She could hear them tearing the inside of the cabin apart, smashing furniture and ripping down walls.
"She's not in the house!" one of the men shouted angrily.
"Check the perimeter, check the woods, she couldn't have gone far," the leader replied.
Footsteps began crunching through the snow, moving slowly toward the old oak tree.
Evelyn held her breath, closing her eyes as a bright flashlight beam swept across the branches.
The beam hit the bottom of the treehouse, lingering there for a heart-stopping second.
"Hey, check out this old fort," a gruff voice called out from below.
Evelyn felt the wooden ladder creak violently as someone began to climb up.
She looked around frantically for a weapon, but there was nothing but old, wet leaves.
She grabbed a heavy, broken piece of wood from the railing, gripping it like a baseball bat.
As the man's head poked through the opening, Evelyn swung with all her remaining strength.
The wood connected with a sickening crack, sending the man tumbling backward.
He hit the snowy ground with a heavy thud, groaning in pain.
"She's up in the tree!" the fallen man yelled, alerting the entire squad.
Suddenly, a deafening spray of bullets ripped through the wooden floor of the treehouse.
Evelyn screamed, rolling to the side as splinters of wood exploded into the air around her.
She realized they did not need her alive anymore, they only needed to retrieve the key from her dead body.
Just as a second barrage of gunfire began, the roar of a helicopter engine tore through the sky.
A blinding spotlight hit the clearing, illuminating the armed men like deer in headlights.
"Federal Bureau of Investigation! Drop your weapons instantly!" a voice boomed from the sky.
Agent Miller had received her text message and brought the cavalry.
The cartel soldiers raised their rifles toward the helicopter, but it was a fatal mistake.
FBI snipers opened fire from the chopper, disabling the attackers in a matter of seconds.
Evelyn stayed flat on the ground until the deafening noise finally ceased.
Agent Miller climbed up the ladder a few minutes later, his face pale with worry.
"Are you hit, Judge?" Miller asked, helping her sit up.
Evelyn shook her head, clutching the small brass key tightly in her palm.
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"I am fine, but we do not have time to celebrate," Evelyn said breathlessly.
"We have the key to the master ledger, and we are going to get my son back."
