30 The Great Escape [Part 2]

"Did you find them?"

"Shit! A sniper killed the hunting dogs!"

"They're over there! Surround them!"

"What are you morons doing?! There's just three of them. Why can't you captu- Argh!"

The one who just spoke was hit by a bullet on his right shoulder. If he moved just one more step, the bullet might have hit his chest instead. He immediately applied pressure to his injury and moved back to take shelter.

"Dammit! Just kill them! No need to capture them alive!"

"But our orders are to capture them."

"Fuck! I said kill them so kill them!"

The man who got hit by the bullet was the leader of this manhunt operation. His superiors ordered him to capture the family of three at all costs and bring them back alive.

The leader thought that this would be an easy operation because the organization sent a hundred elite agents to ensure that the mission would be successful. Who would have thought that the entire area was rigged with traps. Some of them were even landmines!

His superiors explicitly told him that killing them was a last resort. At most, he was allowed to kill the two adults. However, the child must be brought back alive at all costs. If the child died then his life would be forfeit as well.

His injury made him lose his rationality and ordered his men to completely wipe them out. The agents were aware of the contents of the mission because they were also briefed by their superiors. That was how important this mission was to the organization.

"Sir, have you forgotten? The child is off limits," an agent holding a double baretta in his hand said.

"Y-You dare question my authority?! You dare question my orders?!" The leader's eyes became bloodshot because of the man's insubordination.

"If you want to die then you can die alone," the agent spat in disdain. "We all know the contents of the mission. The child must not be harmed at all costs."

"Y-You!"

"Enough!" a second agent interjected. "Leader, go back and recuperate. We will carry out the mission in your stead."

"You bastards! I'll report this to our superior!" the leader threatened them, but the agents gave him the cold shoulder.

All the agents knew that their leader was the second son of one of the managers of the organization. That was why he was tasked with this important mission. If their superiors knew that he was unqualified for the leader position then they would have chosen someone better.

All the agents involved in the operation were professionals. They had completed several missions for the organization and were gathered to do this important task. They only cared about successfully completing the mission. They didn't give a damn about the ramblings of an idiot!

While the agents and their leader were arguing another gunshot was heard. They immediately ducked for cover, but the leader was a second too late because of his angered state. The bullet hit his head dead center. The agents watched as blood gushed out from his forehead.

All of them thought of the same thing. "Good riddance!"

"Everyone, I'll be the temporary leader of this operation. I hope that all of you will cooperate so that we could successfully complete this mission." A man wearing a black suit and hat spoke firmly. "We underestimated our targets. They have prepared for years for this battle. If we don't change our tactics, we will be wiped out."

"Do you have any suggestions, Jacques?" the man holding the double beretta asked while keeping his head low to avoid being targeted by the sniper.

I have an idea. Jacques nodded his head. "The way things are going, the casualties on our side will only increase. The targets are familiar with the terrain and using it to their advantage."

"Then what should we do?"

"It's almost daybreak. All we need to do is to surround the perimeter and ask the organization to call for the Hounds. As long as they're here, we will be able to track them. Contact our superiors and ask for backup. The sooner they get here the better!"

-----

"They're not moving?" The beautiful woman with dark brown hair was looking through the scope of her sniper rifle. The agents were using the trees as cover. She was only able to kill the few agents that barely managed to survive after stepping on their landmines.

Aside from landmines, they also used bear traps that were perfectly hidden among the terrain. A few agents weren't able to see them in the dark and lost their lives because of her superb marksmanship.

"This is bad," a man with dark-blonde hair spoke beside her. His hazel eyes were also looking through the scope of his sniper rifle observing their pursuers. He was the one who shot all the hunting dogs in order to stop the advance of their pursuers.

"They're calling for backup!" the man said through gritted teeth. "Angela, go with Kate. I will hold them off."

"No! We were only able to stop their pursuit because the two of us were not giving them any room to advance," Angela protested. "If I leave now, that will give them an opening. We can't afford to take risks. Jonathan, we need to buy more time for our daughter to escape."

Jonathan clenched his fist in frustration. His wife was right. If she hadn't returned to support him then the agents might have already reached their location. Although they had set some traps in the surrounding area, it was still not enough to hold off more than eighty elite agents from the organization. The ammunition they had for their sniper rifles was also limited. Both of them had three magazines that were loaded with ten bullets each.

Angela already used a magazine and just finished reloading her sniper rifle. Jonathan only had one magazine left because he killed the hunting dogs earlier. Aside from their rifles, they also had handguns with them. However, they knew that their handguns wouldn't pose any threat once they were surrounded.

Their only deterrent right now was their sniper rifles and the landmines they scattered all over the place. Both of them knew that it was only a matter of time before they were overrun by their enemies.

"I'm sorry Angela. This is my fault," Jonathan said with remorse. "I wasn't careful enough while buying food supplies. They were able to track me back to our house."

Jonathan regretted his blunder. If only he hadn't left the house during the day then none of this would have happened. Their daughter would still be sleeping in her bed and dreaming happy dreams. Sadly, there was no medicine for regret.

"Angela, I'm afraid the two of us won't be able to survive when morning comes," Jonathan gazed at his wife lovingly. "Please, go with Kate. There's still time."

"Kate has Stella with her. She will do her best so that both of them can survive." Angela firmly shook her head. "Even if I go with them, it would just make things worse. The organization knows my face, so they would still be able to track us down. However, they don't know what our daughter looks like. As long as they are kept in the dark, she will be safe even if she walked right under their noses."

Jonathan inhaled deeply. His wife was right. The organization didn't know what Kate looked like. They managed to make their escape when she was only a year-old-baby. The time was not enough for the organization to distinguish her features.

As long as she was able to successfully leave the forest and not do anything suspicious then she would be safe from their clutches.

"Angela, do you regret it?"

"Of course not. I don't want our daughter to live like a guinea pig."

Both of them exchanged a glance and saw the determination in each other's eyes. Jonathan pulled his wife closer and gave her a passionate kiss. He wished that time would stand still and let this moment continue forever. It was Angela who broke the kiss first and cupped her husband's face.

"Let's fight together," Angela said, lovingly.

Ethan planted a kiss on her forehead. "Let's die together."

"For our daughter."

"For her freedom and happiness."

-----

In an abandoned cottage…

'Wuwuwu. I want Mama. I want Papa. Wuwuwu"

"Shut up. Crying won't do anything right now."

Stella was busy rummaging the supplies in the backpack. She was four feet tall and the backpack was half her size. Gunshots echoed in the forest as she arranged the things that she would need for their journey. With every shot fired, Kate and Stella felt their hearts breaking.

Kate was bawling her eyes out in their shared mindscape. Stella gave up trying to convince her to stop. With a sigh, she lifted the backpack onto her back and left the cottage. Tears streamed down the side of her face, but she didn't care.

Her Mama and Papa were doing their best for their sake. Stella made a vow that one day she would return and avenge them. For now, she would escape. Her destination was Britain. She needed to board the ferry from Paris to London. She needed to keep the two of them safe.

Stella glanced in the direction she came from. "Mama, Papa, I love you. Thank you for everything."

She turned her back and never looked back. Stella ran. She ran with all her might. Carrying the backpack on her back, she traversed the forest at a speed that was not possible for a nine-year-old child.

Dawn was breaking and it signaled the start of Kate's and Stella's journey towards the unknown.