Buried Lies

Chapter 6: The Plan

Under the cover of darkness, Ella, Leo, and Maya crept stealthily through the shadows towards the bandit camp, their movements silent and deliberate. Leo had sketched out their approach meticulously, utilizing the terrain and the sparse vegetation for cover as they closed in on the camp.

As they reached the outskirts of the camp, they spotted a small canvas tent—a dim glow of firelight flickering from within. This had to be where they were holding Mary. With a shared nod, they approached cautiously, keeping low to avoid detection.

Ella, with her keen eye for strategy, motioned for Leo and Maya to cover her as she silently slipped into the tent. Inside, the scene was grim—Mary, bruised and bloodied, sat huddled in a corner, her eyes wide with fear as she saw figures entering.

Before she could cry out, Ella spoke softly but urgently, "Mary, it's okay. Daniel sent us to get you out of here."

Mary's eyes widened in disbelief and then flooded with relief as she intently listened to Ella's voice. "Thank God," she whispered, her voice hoarse from crying. "I didn't know if anyone would come."

Ella quickly assessed the situation. "How many are there?" she asked quietly, her gaze scanning the perimeter of the tent for any signs of danger.

Mary swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "There are twelve of them in total," she replied, her eyes darting nervously towards the entrance. "They rotate watch shifts. One comes in every few hours."

Just then, the tent flap rustled, and a shadow loomed in the entrance. Without hesitation, Leo lunged forward, his trained reflexes kicking into action as he tackled the bandit before he could raise an alarm. With swift precision, he subdued the man, knocking him unconscious and dragging him into the shadows behind a nearby crate.

Maya and Ella wasted no time. They hurriedly untied Mary, their movements quick but gentle, reassuring her with hushed words as they led her out of the tent and into the cover of the woods beyond.

Back at the farmhouse, Jude and Alex anxiously awaited their friends' return, their nerves taut with worry for both Daniel and the rescue mission. When the group emerged from the shadows, Mary, safe and trembling but alive, relief washed over them like a tidal wave.

"We have to go," Leo said urgently, his eyes scanning the darkness around them as he sensed they were not alone.

The night air was thick with tension as Jude and her friends returned to the farmhouse, their relief at rescuing Mary overshadowed by the looming threat of the bandits trailing them. Shadows danced ominously across the worn wooden walls as they hurried inside, bolting the door behind them with trembling hands.

But safety was fleeting.

No sooner had they caught their breath than the farmhouse erupted into chaos. Shouts and crashes echoed through the air as the bandits unleashed their fury upon everything Jude and her friends had painstakingly built—a garden, their supplies, even the makeshift defenses hastily assembled to protect them.

"We have to do something," Jude declared, her voice edged with desperation as she surveyed the destruction unfolding before her eyes.

Leo, his jaw set with determination, exchanged a glance with Ella and Maya. "We can't let them destroy everything," he stated firmly, his mind racing for a plan amidst the chaos.

In a lull between the crashing sounds of destruction, Leo seized his chance. He slipped out unnoticed through a side door, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and resolve. The night enveloped him in a shroud of darkness as he sprinted towards where he had last seen the bandits lurking.

Adrenaline coursed through Leo's veins as he closed in on one of the bandits, seizing him in a desperate tackle. In the struggle, Leo's momentum carried them towards a nearby tree, and in the darkness and chaos, Leo's actions inadvertently caused the bandit to collide with a branch jutting out from the trunk. The sickening crunch of bone meeting wood cut through the night air, and Leo recoiled in shock as the bandit slumped to the ground, lifeless.

Horror and disbelief washed over Leo as he stumbled back, his hands trembling as he realized the unintended consequence of his actions. Before he could fully process what had happened, the remaining bandits were upon him.

One of them seized Leo by the collar, delivering a punishing blow that sent Leo sprawling to the ground. Pain exploded through Leo's body as he struggled to fend off his attacker, his vision blurring with each relentless strike.

Outside, Alex heard the commotion and reacted without hesitation. Bursting through the farmhouse door, he launched himself at the other two bandits with fierce determination. He tackled one to the ground with a forceful shove, the bandit's head striking a rock with a sickening thud that silenced him instantly.

The remaining bandit, seeing his companions incapacitated, turned and fled into the darkness, his vow of vengeance hanging in the air like a chilling promise. Alex, adrenaline still coursing through his veins, gave chase, but the bandit was swift and disappeared into the night before Alex could apprehend him.

Inside, Jude and the others emerged from their hiding places, their faces drawn with worry and fear as they took in the aftermath of the violent confrontation. They gathered around Leo, whose injuries were evident, offering what little comfort they could amidst the devastation.

As dawn broke over the farmhouse, casting long shadows over the wreckage of their once peaceful sanctuary, Jude and her friends faced an uncertain future. The cost of their defiance against the bandits had been high, and the scars—both physical and emotional—would linger long after the bandits' threats had faded into memory, but they didn't have time to think about it much. They knew the bandit would make good on his word and return with the others and while they were fairly certain that they could now stand their ground when they had too they were also sure that that would more than likely not be the case should all of their gang showed up to seek vengeance.

They had to move and fast. They began grabbing everything that they could think of that would help to ensure their survival through the coldest and most harsh months ahead of them and they taking one last glance at the home that had provided much needed respite if only for a short time to them and set out again into the uncertainty of the world they were beginning to come to know. Not knowing where they were going, they were certain that they would know it when they got there.