Gunfire ripped through the trees, snapping branches and kicking up dirt. Evelyn clutched Claire’s wrist, dragging her behind a fallen log as bullets whizzed overhead.  
Eli was already firing back, his rifle steady, every shot forcing Liam and his men into cover. Sarah crouched beside him, gripping her machete, her breath quick but controlled.  
Evelyn turned to Claire, her voice sharp. “Can you fight?”  
Claire shook her head, still trembling. “I-I was never one of the hunters. I just scouted.”  
Evelyn gritted her teeth. That didn’t make Claire innocent, but now wasn’t the time for judgment.  
Liam’s voice echoed through the trees. “This isn’t worth dying for! Give her to us, and we walk away.”  
Eli’s response was another shot, forcing Liam to curse and duck behind a tree.  
Evelyn’s mind raced. They couldn’t stay pinned down. They needed an escape.  
Then she saw it, just beyond the trees, the land sloped downward, leading to a narrow ridge. If they could get there, they’d have a chance to lose the slavers in the terrain.  
She turned to Eli and Sarah. “We need to move! There’s a path down the ridge.”  
Eli glanced at her, then back at Liam’s position. “We won’t make it unless we distract them.”  
Sarah exhaled sharply, then nodded. “I’ll do it.”  
Evelyn’s stomach clenched. “Sarah—”  
“I’ll be right behind you,” Sarah said firmly. Then, without waiting for permission, she darted to the left, flanking the slavers and vanishing into the trees.  
Liam’s men noticed immediately. “One of them is moving!”  
Evelyn didn’t hesitate. “Now! Go!”  
She grabbed Claire and ran, Eli covering their retreat with bursts of gunfire.  
The ridge was steep, rocks crumbling under their feet as they slid down. Claire stumbled, nearly falling, but Evelyn yanked her up and kept moving.  
Behind them, shouting erupted. Then, another gunshot, closer this time.  
Evelyn whipped around just in time to see Sarah burst from the trees, blood streaking her arm, her machete dripping red.  
“They won’t be following us,” Sarah panted, her eyes sharp. “Let’s move.”  
Evelyn didn’t ask what had happened. She just nodded, turned, and ran.  
They had escaped...for now.  
But trust had been broken tonight.  
And Evelyn knew there was no going back.
The group didn’t stop running until they reached the bottom of the ridge, where the land evened out into a narrow stretch of rocky ground. A cold wind howled through the trees, carrying the distant scent of smoke and gunpowder.  
Evelyn’s breath was ragged as she slowed to a walk, scanning the area for any sign of danger. Eli checked their surroundings, rifle still in hand. Claire collapsed onto a rock, her hands shaking.  
Sarah wiped the blood from her arm and muttered, “Damn bastard nicked me.”  
Evelyn crouched in front of Claire. “Tell me the truth now. Why was Liam so determined to take you back?”  
Claire hesitated, her gaze flickering to the ground. “Because I know things,” she admitted. “Things about their trade routes, about where they take people. I was their scout. I mapped paths for them, marked locations where they could set up traps.”  
Eli clenched his jaw. “So you helped them.”  
Claire’s eyes snapped up, guilt shadowing her face. “I didn’t have a choice. If I refused, they would’ve thrown me in with the others.” She swallowed hard. “I thought that if I played along, I could find a way out. But there was no escape, not until Liam made a mistake.”  
Sarah scoffed. “And we’re supposed to believe that?”  
Evelyn studied Claire’s face. The fear in her eyes wasn’t fake, but that didn’t mean she could be trusted.  
Before she could say anything, Eli turned away. “We should’ve left her,” he muttered.  
Claire tensed. “You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t hate myself for what I’ve done?” Her voice cracked. “I see their faces when I close my eyes. I hear them screaming. You think that’s easy to live with?”  
Silence fell over the group.  
Evelyn sighed, rubbing her temples. “We don’t have time for this. If Liam’s still alive, he’ll come looking for us.”  
Sarah exhaled sharply. “Then we finish this.”  
Evelyn met her gaze. She knew what she meant. Liam and his men were still out there. If they didn’t deal with them now, they’d be hunted for as long as they were alive.  
Claire sat up straighter. “I can help.”  
Eli scoffed. “Why would we trust you?”  
Claire’s hands curled into fists. “Because I want them dead as much as you do.”  
Evelyn held her gaze, searching for any sign of deception. If Claire was lying, it would cost them all their lives.  
But if she was telling the truth…  
She stood up, glancing at Eli and Sarah. “We end this. Tonight.”  
No one argued.  
Because deep down, they all knew, there was no running anymore.  
There was only survival.  
And survival meant killing the ones who hunted them.