Chapter 3 - Into the Pines
The cool night air of the Pacific Northwest hit my face like a slap, clearing the fog of horror that had gripped my brain. The backyard was dark, lit only by the pale glow of the floodlights mounted near the roof.
I saw the second man's silhouette disappearing past the edge of our fence line, charging straight into the dense pine woods that stretched for miles behind our property. Lily’s tiny white sneakers caught the dim light as she darted through the underbrush, her shrieks echoing through the tall trees.
"Lily!" I screamed, bounding down the wooden deck steps.
I slipped on the damp grass, falling hard on my knees, but I barely felt the impact. The adrenaline surging through my veins muted all physical pain. I scrambled back to my feet, tightening my grip on the cast-iron skillet, and threw myself into the woods.
The forest was a labyrinth of thick pine trunks, overgrown brambles, and treacherous exposed roots. The pine needles muffled the sound of footsteps, making it impossible to tell how close the intruder was to my daughter.
"Lily! Hide!" I yelled, trying to draw the man's attention away from her. "Hey! Over here, you coward!"
Behind me, I heard the heavy, uneven footsteps of Vance tearing through the brush. He was still pursuing us, despite the bleeding wound in his shoulder. "You're dead, Sarah! Both of you!" he shouted, his voice rough and breathless.
I cut sharp to the left, diving behind a cluster of massive Douglas fir trees. I held my breath, my heart pounding so hard I was certain the men could hear it. A few feet away, I heard the second man crashing through the bushes, breathing heavily.
"Where is she?" the man cursed under his breath. "Kid moves fast..."
Through the branches, I saw a flash of pink—Lily’s jacket. She had scrambled into a hollowed-out tree trunk about twenty feet ahead of us. She was tucked inside, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, trying desperately to stay still. But the second man was walking straight toward her position, flashlight beam swinging back and forth across the forest floor.
The light flickered over the hollowed tree. The man paused. He raised his crowbar.
I didn't hesitate. I sprang out from behind the fir tree like an animal protecting its young. I closed the distance between us in seconds, swinging the heavy cast-iron skillet with the full weight of my body behind it.
CRACK.
The heavy pan struck the side of his skull with a sickening thud. The man let out a wet groan and crumpled to the pine-needle carpet like a sack of stones, his flashlight rolling away into the dark.
"Mommy!" Lily gasped, scrambling out of the hollow tree.
"I've got you, baby, I've got you," I gasped, pulling her into my arms and scooping her up into a carry. "Hold on tight to my neck!"
I turned to run deeper into the woods, aiming to loop around toward the main road where the neighbors lived. But before I could take three steps, a rough hand grabbed the hood of my jacket from behind and yanked me backward with violent force.
I lost my balance and tumbled to the ground, shielding Lily with my body as we hit the dirt.
Vance stood over us, towering like a demon in the dark forest. His face was twisted in rage, dark blood soaking the entire front left side of his jacket. In his right hand, he held a dark metal object that glinted under the moonlight. A pistol.
"Enough of this shit," Vance snarled, raising the weapon. "Mark said to make it look like a home invasion gone wrong. A bullet works just as well as a fire."
"Please," I sobbed, placing my body completely over Lily, waiting for the impact. "Please, she's six years old. Take everything. Just let her live."
"No witnesses," Vance said coldly, taking a step forward.
Suddenly, a bright, blinding light swept through the trees, illuminating the woods in stark red and blue hues. The distant, blaring sound of police sirens echoed through the valley, growing louder and closer by the second. Loudspeakers boomed from the direction of my driveway.
"POLICE! DROPPED YOUR WEAPON! WE HAVE THE PERIMETER SURROUNDED!"
Vance froze. He looked back toward the house, then down at me and Lily. Panic flickered across his rough face. He knew he didn't have time to execute us and clean up the scene.
"This isn't over, Sarah," Vance hissed, stepping backward into the thick brush. "Mark’s got friends you don't even know about."
He turned and vanished into the darkness of the deep woods just as heavy footsteps and flashlight beams began cutting through the trees toward us.
"Over here!" I screamed with every ounce of strength left in my lungs. "We're over here! Help!"
Officers flooded the area, their weapons drawn, flashlight beams illuminating our tear-streaked faces. Within moments, two officers were kneeling beside me, lifting Lily into their arms and checking me for injuries.
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As they led us out of the woods toward the safety of the flashing police cruisers, I turned back to look at my house. The front door hung off its hinges, the back patio glass was destroyed, and the dark opening of the crawl space under the porch sat gaping open like a hungry mouth.
Mark had set a trap. He thought I would die in that house while he sat comfortably on an airplane to Chicago. But I was alive. And now, I was going to make him pay.
