Chapter 8 - The Price of Redemption
The siege lasted until sunset. Marcus fought with a cold, terrifying efficiency, his men systematically clearing the rooms of the cabin. Evelyn moved through the house like a phantom, utilizing every tactical advantage she had learned in her years of "hostile takeovers."
She caught Marcus in the kitchen, their eyes meeting over the barrel of a gun.
"It’s over, Evelyn," he sneered. "You’ve destroyed everything."
"I destroyed a cage," she retorted.
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A flash of movement—Leo emerged from the cellar, holding the original photograph. Not to fight, but to distract. Marcus’s focus flickered for a fraction of a second, and that was all Evelyn needed.
She lunged, tackling him through the glass sliding door. The fight was brutal and short. She emerged alone, bruised and bleeding, as the sirens of the federal task force finally wailed in the distance.
