Chapter 9 :THE SNIPER IN THE TREES

Time seemed to stand still.

Marcus, the man in the dark suit, had my crossbow trained on my chest. He was maybe fifty yards away from me. That was too far for me to accurately fire my crossbow, but within range for him to take a clean shot at me.

" Don't move, Sarah. He has the high ground and a perfect shot." Adrian said from the doorway behind me.

"I know."

What were the odds they found me that fast? I mean, Adrian warned me they were ruthless, but this was faster than I expected. I turned around to see Adrian's pale face.

" Do you have it?"

I shook my head.

" I destroyed it. I didn't want them to find me."

" He doesn't have it." I shouted to the man in the trees.

Marcus smiled. His white teeth gleamed in the morning light.

" Adrian Vance downloaded classified files from our facility before he terminated it, is that right?

" I don't have any data drive,"Don't play dumb,"

Marcus said, his voice hardening. "Adrian Vance downloaded classified files from our facility before he burned it down. We know he came to you. Give us the drive, or we'll burn this farmhouse, along with all of its inhabitants, to the ground."

" Do you have it?"I mouthed to Adrian

He shook his head.

" I destroyed it. I didn't want them to find me."

" He doesn't have it," I shouted.

Marcus sighed, as if he were a disappointed parent. "I suppose we'll have to go inside and look around."

Marcus shifted his aim to my head

" You have five seconds. One."

I had to think fast.

" Trent!"

Trent was standing in the doorway, still holding the bucket of cleaning solution. He looked at me, stunned.

" Get down!"

I rolled to the left, behind the thick stone wall of the well. The rifle shot rang out and the dirt where I had been barely missed.

" Adrian, fire at will!"

Adrian stepped out from behind the doorframe and fired three rounds, each one finding a tree in the forest. Marcus took cover behind a large tree and fell silent. I stood up and sprinted to the house, Trent staring wide-eyed as I past him.

" Trent!"

I shoved him, sending him sprawling in the kitchen. I dove in after him and threw the steel door against another round of rifle fire.

" Get away from the windows."

Martha had her children in the root cellar. Chloe was clinging to Ben, sobbing. Adrian had taken up a position by the front window, his pistol in hand. " Who's that man?" Trent asked, still trembling.

" Someone who wants us dead,"

I said, picking up my crossbow. I peered out the crack in the boards. Marcus had moved out from behind the tree and was motioning to someone in the forest. A moment later, three figures emerged from the trees, rifles in hand.

We were outnumbered and outgunned, with a sniper on our side.

"We could hold them off," Adrian said, "but we need to think of an escape plan. They have the advantage of numbers and a sniper. We'd need an escape route."

" I have one,"

I said.

I ran to the back of the house and opened the heavy wooden door that led to the root cellar. It wasn't much, but it would keep us safe from rifle fire. The others piled in after me. I pulled the steel door shut and slid a large bolt across the top.

The children were quiet in the dim light of the cellar. Martha hugged her toddler to her chest. Chloe was curled in a ball, still mourning Ben. Adrian was crouched behind the door, his rifle resting on his shoulder.

"This won't hold,"

Adrian said. "They'll probably try to break the door down.

" They can't get in," I said.

I had bought a small generator and several cans of gasoline on my way here. I didn't have much use for them, but I knew what I was going to use them for. " Trent, give me a hand."

I reached into my stockpile space and pulled out two cans of gasoline and a small box of matches.

" What are you doing?" Trent asked

" Something they'll remember." I said.

I crawled to the small porthole at the end of the cellar. I poked the can of gasoline through the opening and let the liquid drip onto the grass. I pulled out a match and lit it.

" Whoa."

Trent backed away. A gust of wind extinguished the flame, but the next match quickly replaced it. The grass at the edge of our cellar was on fire, and the sound of a man cursing could be heard above our heads.

" That should hold them up for a few minutes," I said.

" You are so scary," Adrian said. "Thank you,"

We heard a thumping sound against the door.

" Get behind the shelves!"I yelled.

The shelves, where our stockpile of supplies was, would provide plenty of cover behind which we could crouch and fight if they breached the door. Adrian raised his pistol, and Martha grabbed a knife from the kitchen counter. Even Trent found a hammer from the workbenches.

The doors groaned as the men pushed against it, forcing it open.

" Hold the line!"

I took up a battle position and raised my crossbow.

The door flew open and a man in a dark suit stumbled inside. I fired, hitting him in the chest.