Chapter 17
The snow was falling heavily in the dark forest, stinging Valentina’s face as the flakes hit her skin. She gripped her flashlight tightly and followed Chris through the snow, taking each step carefully.
“There’s movement up ahead.” Chris suddenly stopped, his voice barely a whisper.
Valentina held her breath and looked where he was pointing. In the distance, she could make out flashlight beams dancing through the trees, along with the faint sound of metal clanking.
“Poachers.” Chris turned to look at her, frost already forming on his scarf.
“Stay here. Don’t move, and stay alert.”
Valentina nodded. “Be careful.”
Chris‘ figure quickly vanished into the dark pine forest. Valentina pressed herself against a thick tree trunk, her heart hammering so loudly from nerves that she had to hold her breath just to calm down.
The wind howled around her as she strained to listen for sounds in the distance. Suddenly, she heard a sharp crack behind her, the sound of a branch snapping underfoot.
Valentina went rigid, and she slowly turned around. A heavyset man with a cruel face had somehow crept up behind her. He was holding a gleaming hunting knife, his eyes glinting
with malice.
“Keep quiet, little lady,” said the man as he grinned, showing his yellowed teeth. “Just step aside and I’ll pretend I never saw you.”
Valentina’s blood turned to ice. She forced herself to stay calm and gripped her radio tighter.
“This is Montanias Forest District Three. We have poachers in the area. Requesting backup-”
“Damn it!” Jake Connor’s expression turned vicious as he lunged forward to grab the radio.
Valentina dodged to the side and bolted into the forest. The frigid air burned her lungs, but she didn’t dare stop running.
Behind her, she could hear Jake’s furious cursing and heavy footsteps getting closer. A gunshot suddenly split the night air. The bullet whizzed past her ear and slammed into a nearby tree trunk, sending splinters flying.
Valentina’s legs nearly gave out beneath her. She hadn’t expected him to have a gun!
“What’s wrong? Why’d you stop running?” Jake approached with a vicious grin, pointing the barrel straight at her chest.
Chapter 17
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“I wasn’t planning to kill anyone, but you brought this on yourself!”
Just then, a dark figure came charging from the side and tackled the poacher hard.
“Chris!” Valentina cried out.
The two men wrestled in the snow, rolling across the ground. Jake’s gun went flying as he wrapped his hands around Chris‘ throat in a chokehold.
Chris drove his elbow into Jake’s face, and blood immediately gushed from his nose.
“Get out of here!” Chris yelled hoarsely at Valentina.
Valentina shook her head, grabbed a thick branch from the ground, and swung it hard across Jake’s back. He loosened his grip in pain, and Chris flipped him over, pinning him to the ground.
Suddenly, Jake pulled a knife from his boot and lunged for Chris‘ stomach.
“Look out!”
Chris couldn’t dodge in time. The blade tore through his coat, and blood immediately started flowing.
He grunted in pain but kept his grip tight on Jake’s wrist. The two men fought violently near the edge of a steep slope. Valentina tried to help, but then they rolled over together and both men tumbled off the cliff.
“Chris!” Valentina’s scream echoed through the empty forest.
She scrambled to the edge on her hands and knees, but all she could see below was pitch darkness and the sound of howling wind.
Chapter 18
