Chapter 5 - Hunting the Hunter
Morning broke through the pine trees. Mia woke up slowly, blinking at the rustic wooden ceiling. "Where are we, Mama?" she asked, her voice still raspy. "We're camping, sweetie," I lied smoothly, forcing a warm smile. "Just you and me. A secret adventure." She liked that idea. She ate the pancakes I made her from the emergency rations and watched cartoons on a secure tablet. For a moment, she looked like a normal six-year-old again, but the bruises on her wrists were a constant, screaming reminder of reality.
Suddenly, my phone vibrated. It was Chloe. I stared at the name on the screen—my little sister. The one I had protected from bullies in high school, the one who had stood by and watched Victor grab my child. I answered, keeping my end muted. "Harper?" Chloe's voice was frantic and trembling. "Harper, please pick up. Mom is furious. Victor is angry," she continued, her voice dropping to a whisper. "He says you broke the deal. He's sending people, Harper. You don't know who he's connected to. Please just bring her back, we can fix this."
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I hit a single keystroke to record the call before I finally spoke. My voice was devoid of any sisterly affection. "Chloe." She gasped, relieved to hear me. "Listen to me very carefully," I said coldly. "If Victor sends his people, I will send them back in bags. And when I am done with him, I am coming for you and Mom. You are dead to me." I hung up and snapped the burner phone in half. They had made their move. Now it was time for mine.
I wasn't going to sit in a cabin and wait to be attacked. My unit's motto was simple: Dictate the battle. I pulled open the hidden weapons cache beneath the floorboards, loading a custom Glock 19 and packing extra magazines, a tactical knife, and a garrote wire into my vest. I wasn't going out as a mother looking for an apology; I was going as a shadow operative executing a threat-elimination protocol. I called Marcus again. "I need a babysitter," I said. "I'll send Agent Reynolds. She's the best with kids," he replied. "Where are you going, Valkyrie?" I slid an extra magazine into my tactical vest. "I'm going to collect a debt."
