Chapter 12: Running in the Dark
The tunnel was pitch black, and Daniela fumbled blindly as she moved forward, her hands brushing against the rough, damp walls. Her breath came in shallow gasps, the sound of gunfire and shouting still ringing in her ears. She didn’t know how far the tunnel went or where it would lead, but she knew she couldn’t stop. Not now.
After what felt like an eternity, she saw a faint glimmer of light ahead. She quickened her pace, her legs aching and her heart pounding. The light grew brighter, and soon she reached the end of the tunnel, where a rusty ladder led up to a hatch. She climbed it, her hands shaking, and pushed the hatch open.
Cold night air hit her face as she emerged into a dense thicket of trees. She was in the middle of the woods, far from the cabin. The sounds of chaos were distant now, but she didn’t dare stop to listen. She had to keep moving.
Daniela ran, her feet slipping on the wet leaves and uneven ground. Branches scratched her arms and face, but she barely noticed. Her mind was a blur of fear and guilt. Were Ethan and Marcus okay? Had they been captured—or worse? She couldn’t think about that now. She had to focus on survival.
Hours later, exhausted and disoriented, Daniela stumbled onto a dirt road. She had no idea where she was, but the road meant people. It meant help. She followed it, her legs trembling with every step, until she saw the glow of a gas station in the distance.
She approached cautiously, her eyes scanning the area for any sign of danger. The gas station was small and rundown, with a single flickering light above the pumps. A man in a worn jacket stood behind the counter, his face illuminated by the glow of a small TV.
Daniela hesitated, then stepped inside. The bell above the door jingled, and the man looked up, his expression wary.
“Can I help you?” he asked, his voice gruff.
Daniela forced a smile, though her nerves were frayed. “I… I got lost. Can I use your phone?”
The man studied her for a moment, then nodded toward an old payphone in the corner. “Help yourself.”
Daniela’s hands trembled as she picked up the receiver and dialed the only number she could think of: Claire Reynolds. The journalist had given her a burner number before they parted ways, just in case.
Claire answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Claire, it’s Daniela,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “I need help. They found us. Ethan and Marcus… I don’t know if they’re okay.”
There was a pause, then Claire’s voice came through, calm and steady. “Where are you?”
Daniela glanced around, her mind racing. “I don’t know. A gas station in the middle of nowhere. There’s a sign that says ‘Miller’s Crossing.’”
“Okay,” Claire said. “Stay there. I’ll send someone to get you. Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t trust anyone. Do you understand?”
Daniela nodded, though Claire couldn’t see her. “Yes. Please hurry.”
She hung up and sank onto a nearby bench, her legs giving out beneath her. The man behind the counter gave her a curious look but didn’t say anything. Daniela wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop the shaking. She felt exposed, vulnerable, like a target waiting to be hit.
It felt like an eternity before a car pulled into the gas station. Daniela tensed, ready to run, but then she recognized the driver—a woman with short, dark hair and a no-nonsense expression. It was Claire.
Daniela hurried outside, her relief so overwhelming she almost collapsed. Claire got out of the car and wrapped her in a quick, tight hug. “You’re safe now,” she said. “Let’s get out of here.”
They drove in silence for a while, the headlights cutting through the darkness. Finally, Claire spoke. “Tell me everything.”
Daniela did, her voice breaking as she recounted the attack on the cabin, the tunnel, and her desperate run through the woods. When she finished, Claire’s expression was grim.
“Bennett’s getting desperate,” she said. “He knows the story’s out, and he’s trying to clean up the mess. But he’s not going to win. Not this time.”
Daniela wiped her eyes, her voice barely above a whisper. “What about Ethan and Marcus? Do you think they’re okay?”
Claire hesitated, then reached over to squeeze Daniela’s hand. “They’re tough. If anyone can survive this, it’s them. But right now, we need to focus on you. You’re the key to all of this, Daniela. Bennett knows that. And he’s not going to stop until he silences you.”
Daniela’s stomach churned. “What do we do?”
Claire’s grip tightened. “We fight back. The story’s already out, but we need to keep the pressure on. I’ve got contacts in the FBI. If we can get them to act, Bennett won’t be able to hide anymore.”
Daniela nodded, though her mind was still spinning. “What can I do?”
Claire glanced at her, her expression softening. “You’ve already done so much. But if you’re up for it, there’s one more thing. We need to go public. A live interview. You tell your story, in your own words. Let the world see the real Alexander Bennett.”
Daniela’s heart raced at the thought. Going public meant putting herself in the spotlight, making herself an even bigger target. But she knew Claire was right. If they were going to stop Alexander, they had to hit him where it hurt—his image.
“Okay,” she said, her voice steady despite her fear. “I’ll do it.”
The interview was set for the next morning. Claire arranged for it to be broadcast live on a major news network, ensuring it would reach as many people as possible. Daniela spent the night at a secure location, trying to prepare herself for what was to come.
As she sat in the green room, waiting to go on air, her hands trembled. She thought about Ethan and Marcus, about everything they had sacrificed to get her this far. She thought about Alexander, about the man she had once loved and the monster he had become.
And she thought about herself—about the woman she had been and the woman she was becoming. She wasn’t just a victim anymore. She was a fighter. And she wasn’t going to let Alexander win.
When the producer signaled for her to go on, Daniela took a deep breath and stepped into the spotlight. The cameras rolled, and the interviewer began.
“Daniela Harper, thank you for joining us. You’ve been through an unimaginable ordeal. Can you tell us, in your own words, what happened?”
Daniela looked into the camera, her voice clear and strong. “My name is Daniela Harper, and this is the truth about Alexander Bennett…”
The storm wasn’t over yet. But for the first time, Daniela felt like she was ready to face it.