I couldn't move. My body was frozen, locked in place by the fear that had settled deep inside my chest.
Jace's warning echoed in my ears. "Someone's coming. And they're not here for us."
I looked around the cabin, searching for an escape. The windows were boarded up, the door we'd entered from barely wide enough to squeeze through. There was no way out — not without being seen.
"Jace," I whispered, voice trembling. "Who are they?"
Jace's face was pale, his eyes darting nervously around the cabin. "I don't know. But they know we're here."
My heart pounded in my ears as I grabbed the folder I'd found. I stuffed it under my jacket, praying it wouldn't be noticed. It was the only lead we had left — the only thing connecting my mom, Tyler, and the mystery that had been haunting both of our families.
We heard the crunch of footsteps outside. Slow, deliberate steps. They were circling the cabin, closing in.
"Do you have a plan?" I whispered, trying to sound calm.
Jace shook his head. "Not yet."
There was a sudden crash. A loud thud from the back of the cabin. The door had been forced open.
I didn't wait for Jace's signal. I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the far corner of the room, where a trapdoor lay hidden under an old rug.
"We can't stay here," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. "They'll find us."
Jace nodded, his face hardening with determination. He pushed the rug aside, revealing a rusty iron latch. He grabbed it and pulled, and with a creak of protest, the trapdoor opened.
We descended quickly, into the cool, musty darkness beneath the cabin. It was a small, underground room, barely lit by a single bulb hanging from the ceiling. There was nothing here but old furniture, crates, and stacks of papers — and the faint, sour smell of mildew.
"Stay quiet," Jace muttered, and we huddled together in the shadows, the only sound our ragged breathing.
I pressed my back against the wall, clutching the folder tightly against my chest. My mind raced, trying to make sense of everything we'd learned. Tyler had been protecting me. My mom had been hiding something from me all my life. But why? And why were they after us now?
The footsteps grew louder above us, moving around the cabin. They were searching for us. But what were they looking for?
I didn't have to wait long to find out.
The door above creaked open, and a voice called down.
"You two better come out," the voice said, cold and threatening. "We don't have all day."
It was a man's voice, low and gravelly. Not someone I recognized.
Jace's hand tightened around mine, his jaw set. "We're not going up there."
I nodded, trying to steady my breath. But my heart was racing. We couldn't keep hiding. We couldn't stay underground forever. We needed to know what they wanted, why they were after us.
"I'll distract them," Jace whispered, his face hardening. "You go through the back. There's a window."
"No," I replied, panic rising. "We should stick together."
But Jace's eyes were determined. "We don't have a choice."
He squeezed my hand once before slipping away, moving silently through the darkness. I held my breath, praying he'd be okay, but the sound of his footsteps fading made it feel like the walls were closing in on me.
I waited, watching the narrow crack between the floorboards. The sound of muffled voices above grew louder. They were getting closer. But I didn't dare move. Not yet.
After what felt like an eternity, the voices above stopped. There was silence.
I peeked through the crack, straining to hear.
Then, a figure appeared at the top of the stairs.
A tall, dark figure, with a black coat and a face I couldn't see.
He stepped closer to the edge of the trapdoor, pausing just before it. His eyes seemed to sweep across the room, as if searching for me. But I stayed still, trying to breathe as quietly as possible.
Suddenly, a sharp noise came from behind me — a loud crash, followed by a grunt.
I spun around. Jace had fallen.
I ran to him in a panic, but before I could reach him, the figure from the trapdoor moved, his hand grabbing my arm. His grip was like iron.
"You're not going anywhere," he sneered.