A flashlight beam blinded me as it flooded the cabin.

“Drop the weapon!” a voice roared.

Sophia fired twice into the darkness.

The gunshots were deafening in the enclosed space.

A man screamed outside, and the flashlight dropped to the floor, rolling wildly.

“Go!” Sophia yelled, pushing me toward the broken window.

“Not without you,” I said.

“I’m right behind you,” she said. “Move!”

I scrambled up onto the sill, ignoring the glass cutting into my palms.

I tumbled out into the wet, muddy leaves outside.

The cold mud welcomed me, soaking my clothes instantly.

I turned back to pull Sophia through.

Inside the cabin, another shot rang out.

Then, a heavy thud.

“Sophia!” I yelled, reaching my arms through the broken pane.

A hand reached out from the darkness inside.

But it wasn’t Sophia’s hand.

It was a thick, leather-gloved hand, and it grabbed the collar of my jacket.

I struggled backward, tearing myself free from the grip.

Inside the cabin, the flashlight beam caught a face.

It was my brother, Caleb.

His face was pale, his eyes wide with a mixture of terror and desperation.