The secret hideout

Her vision blurred, the edges of her world growing darker with each passing second. The flight drained from her body as the chlorofoam took effect, her limbs growing weak, her thoughts slipping into unconsciousness. Within moments, Danielle went limp in their arms. Cyrus adjusted his grip, glancing at Raid. “Let’s move”. Without wasting another second, the two men carried her back through the way they came, slipping out of the mansion through the garden’s backs door. The entire operation had been executed flawlessly, without a single arm raised. From his vantage point near the garden, David watched as Cyrus and Raid emerged, he ordered his other men waiting on the vehicle to reach the garden door. The van rumbled down the narrow, unmarked road, the faint hum of the engine punctuated by the occasional bump as it veered off the smooth asphalt.

Inside the vehicle, Danielle laid on the back seat covered her mouth with cloth, her hands were bound tightly, and the ropes dug into her skin. Cyrus sat opposite her, his cold eyes occasionally flicking over to check on her, his expression unreadable. Raid beside him and David sitting on the front with Sam driving the van. “Is the house ready?” David asked without looking at Sam, his eyes fixed on the road head. Cyrus hesitated, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “Well… it’s complicated.” David’s eyes narrowed. “Complicated?” His tone was cold, demanding an explanation.

Raid, sitting in the back with Cyrus, tried to interject. “The original house we secured—” Cyrus cut him off.”—was destroyed by the cyclone last night.” For a moment, there was complete silence. Then, David’s fist slammed against the dashboard, making everyone flinch. He turned sharply to the backseat, his voice rising in fury. “If the house is not ready, how are we supposed to complete the mission? Take her with us in the van everywhere we go, or take her to each others house and introduce to our family, “see, who we have here, our victim with us, just gonna stay here for few days but we will return her back”, Do you want to end up in prison for the rest of your life, dammit?” His voice echoed in the confined space of the van.

Raid sighed and added reluctantly, “we tired to arrange another place, but the owner refused at the last set minute. He won’t cooperate”. David’s face twisted with rage. “Bastards! Can’t even do their job properly?” He gestured sharply toward the driver. “Sam, pull over. Now!”. The van screeched to a halt on the side of thee desolate road. David jumped out, pacing furiously on the gravel, his breath visible in the chilly morning air. “If you can’t handle the job, then don’t take responsibility for it!” David shouted, his voice carrying into the forest. “If we get caught because of you guys, I won’t lift a finger to help any of you. Did you hear me? Not a damn thing!”.

Raid and Cyrus exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how to respond. Inside the van, Sam remained calm, watching David from the driver’s seat. After a moment, he rolled down the window and called out. “David, come inside. I have a plan. It’s not perfect, but we can make it work.” David stopped pacing, his hands clenched into fists. He took a deep breath, then walked back to the van, slamming the door as he got inside. “What’s the plan?”. Sam adjusted his grip on thee steering wheel. “My late friend’s son lives in a mountain village— one of those remote places where peopl rarely visit. It’s isolated, and no one will think to look for her there.”

Sam continues “ but the problem is he hates crowded area, so we’d have to leave her there with him alone.” David raised an eyebrow. “You’re suggesting we leave Danielle with some recluse? What’s the name off this place?what if he try to do something funny?”. Sam paused, thinking.” I trust him, and the place named was Berry? No, wait… Bear? No— Blue. Ah, Blue Hill.” David sat back, considering the idea. “Blue Hill, it is my first time hearing it. It’s risky, but it could work.” As the van drove, the distant silhouette of the mountains loomed ahead— a new destination taking almost 7 hours.

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