Chapter 9: The Cabin’s Secrets
The cabin was a time capsule, frozen in the moment her father had last left it. Dust coated every surface, and the air was heavy with the scent of neglect. Yelena stepped inside, her boots crunching on the wooden floorboards. The faint light filtering through the grimy windows illuminated the sparse furniture—a worn couch, a rickety table, and a fireplace filled with cold ashes.
Ethan followed her in, his eyes scanning the room with a mix of nostalgia and unease. “This place hasn’t changed much,” he muttered. “Still feels like it’s holding its breath.”
Yelena moved further into the cabin, her gaze darting to every corner, every shadow. “Where do we start?”
Ethan shrugged. “He was a man who liked to keep things close. If the ledger’s here, it’s hidden somewhere only he would’ve thought of.”
Yelena nodded, her mind racing. She began with the obvious places—drawers, cabinets, even the cushions of the couch. But there was nothing. No ledger, no clues, not even a scrap of paper.
Frustration bubbled up inside her. “There’s nothing here,” she said, her voice tinged with disappointment.
Ethan frowned, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the room. “He wouldn’t have left it out in the open. Think like him. Where would he hide something he didn’t want anyone to find?”
Yelena paused, her gaze settling on the fireplace. The stones around it were rough and uneven, one of them slightly darker than the others. She stepped closer, running her fingers over the surface.
“Ethan,” she said slowly, “give me a hand with this.”
Ethan joined her, and together they pried the loose stone from the wall. Behind it was a small, hidden compartment. Yelena’s breath caught as she reached inside and pulled out a weathered leather-bound book.
The ledger.
Her hands trembled as she opened it, flipping through the pages filled with names, dates, and amounts. It was a record of transactions, alliances, and betrayals—a map of her father’s dangerous world.
“This is it,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Ethan’s expression was grim as he glanced over her shoulder. “This is more than just a ledger. This is a weapon. And if Victor’s enemies find out we have it…”
He didn’t need to finish the sentence. Yelena understood. The ledger was a ticking time bomb, and they were holding the fuse.
“We need to get out of here,” Ethan said, his voice urgent. “Now.”
Yelena nodded, tucking the ledger into her bag. But as they turned to leave, the sound of footsteps outside froze them in their tracks.
Ethan’s hand shot out, grabbing Yelena’s arm and pulling her behind the door. He pressed a finger to his lips, his eyes wide with warning.
The footsteps grew closer, accompanied by the low murmur of voices. Yelena’s heart pounded in her chest as she strained to listen.
“This is the place,” a man’s voice said, rough and impatient. “If the ledger’s here, we’ll find it.”
Yelena’s stomach dropped. They weren’t alone.
Ethan’s grip on her arm tightened, and he leaned in close, his voice barely a whisper. “We need to move. Now.”
Yelena nodded, her mind racing. The cabin had only one exit, and it was blocked. But Ethan was already pulling her toward the back of the room, where a small window overlooked the dense forest.
“Go,” he whispered, pushing the window open. “I’ll hold them off.”
Yelena shook her head, her eyes wide with panic. “No. I’m not leaving you.”
Ethan’s expression softened for a moment, but then it hardened with resolve. “You have the ledger. That’s what matters. Now go!”
Before she could argue, he gave her a boost, and she tumbled out the window, landing in the snow below. She scrambled to her feet, clutching the bag with the ledger to her chest.
Inside the cabin, she heard the sound of the door being kicked open, followed by shouts and the crash of furniture. Her heart ached to go back, to help Ethan, but she knew he was right. The ledger was too important to risk.
Tears stung her eyes as she turned and ran into the forest, the cold air biting at her skin. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she had to get as far away from the cabin as possible.
Behind her, the sound of gunfire echoed through the trees.