Chapter 4 - The House Beneath The Pines
The cabin stood three miles beyond a road the county had stopped plowing during the storm.
It belonged to Victor’s mother.
Technically.
Legally, it had been abandoned.
For twelve years.
Nora arrived at 6:48 a.m.
Her hands were numb.
Her hair was wet with melted snow.
She carried Mia inside while Leo remained strapped to her chest.
The cabin was small.
Two bedrooms.
A stone fireplace.
An old kitchen.
No internet.
No cameras.
No security system.
For the first time in weeks, Nora breathed without feeling watched.
She started a fire.
Boiled water.
Checked the twins.
Leo was hungry.
Mia’s breathing was shallow.
Nora cried only after both babies were fed.
She cried quietly.
With her hand covering her mouth.
Then she saw movement outside.
A shadow between the trees.
She froze.
The wind pushed snow across the yard.
Nothing.
Nora waited.
Then she noticed something in the snow.
Footprints.
Fresh.
Someone had followed her.
Her body went cold.
She grabbed the old shotgun from beside the fireplace.
She had never fired one.
She hoped she would not have to.
The front door creaked.
Nora raised the weapon.
“Nora?”
She nearly screamed.
Helen Calloway stepped inside.
The woman was seventy-two years old and carried two grocery bags.
“You look terrible,” Helen said.
Nora lowered the gun.
“You followed me.”
“I own the cabin.”
Nora stared.
Helen sighed.
“My dear, you were always terrible at lying.”
She handed Nora a bag.
“Baby formula.”
Another.
“Medicine.”
Nora’s eyes widened.
“How did you know?”
“Because you called me two weeks ago.”
Nora stopped.
“I never called you.”
Helen looked at her carefully.
“That is not what I remember.”
A strange silence filled the room.
Then Helen reached into her coat and removed an old phone.
“This was delivered to me yesterday.”
She gave it to Nora.
There was one saved message.
From Victor.
Three words.
If she runs, protect.
Nora stared at it.
Her eyes filled.
“He knew.”
Helen shook her head.
“Apparently not enough.”
Nora looked at the message again.
“Why would he send this?”
“Because your husband knew something was wrong.”
Nora laughed bitterly.
“He knew and did nothing.”
Helen looked at her.
“Did you ever ask him what he was doing?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“He said it was complicated.”
Helen sighed.
“That is the favorite sentence of dangerous men.”
A small cry came from the bedroom.
Nora rushed inside.
Mia’s face had turned slightly pale.
Her breathing changed.
Nora grabbed the oxygen monitor.
Numbers dropped.
“Helen!”
The old woman was already moving.
“We need to get her to the clinic.”
“I cannot call an ambulance.”
“You can if your daughter is dying.”
They wrapped Mia in blankets.
Ten minutes later, they were on the road.
The nearest clinic was nearly forty minutes away.
Halfway there, a black SUV appeared behind them.
Helen looked into the rearview mirror.
“That is not a snowplow.”
Nora’s stomach dropped.
The SUV followed.
Then another appeared.
Helen stepped on the gas.
“Nora, listen to me.”
“Yes?”
“If they stop us, run with the children.”
“No.”
“I am serious.”
“Who are they?”
Helen did not answer.
The SUV accelerated.
A truck pulled into the road ahead.
Helen swerved.
The tires slipped.
The vehicle spun once.
Nora screamed.
Everything went white.
When the car finally stopped, silence filled the cabin.
Nora looked down.
Leo was crying.
Mia was crying.
They were alive.
Helen was bleeding from her forehead.
Outside, the black SUV stopped twenty yards away.
A man stepped out.
He was wearing a winter jacket.
In his hand was a gun.
He shouted.
“Give us the children!”
Nora held both babies.
“No.”
The man walked forward.
Then a second gunshot cracked through the air.
The attacker dropped.
Victor stood behind him.
No coat.
Snow covering his shoulders.
Gun in one hand.
Mateo beside him.
Nora stared.
Victor did not approach immediately.
He kept his distance.
He looked at her.
Then the babies.
Then Helen.
“Nora.”
Her eyes filled with anger.
“You found me.”
Victor nodded.
“Yes.”
“You said you wouldn't.”
“I said I wouldn't force you to come home.”
She looked at the armed men.
“How did you know?”
“I didn't.”
Victor lowered his weapon.
“I followed the evidence.”
Nora laughed through tears.
“You always find everyone.”
He looked at the twins.
“I couldn't find you.”
Something in his voice broke her anger for a moment.
Then she remembered the scent.
“Sylvia.”
Victor closed his eyes.
“Nora.”
“Were you with her?”
“Yes.”
Her heart sank.
Victor continued.
“But not for the reason you think.”
He explained.
The attack.
The evidence.
Enzo.
Dante.
The medical records.
The manipulation.
Nora listened.
Then she looked at the men outside.
One of them was still moving.
“Who are they?”
Victor answered.
“Enzo’s.”
Nora turned pale.
“Then he knows where we are.”
Victor nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then you shouldn't be here.”
Victor took a step toward her.
She stepped back.
He stopped.
That was the first time Nora noticed something unusual.
Victor Rinaldi was afraid to move too close to his own wife.
“Come with me,” he said quietly.
“No.”
“I'll protect you.”
“You've been protecting everyone except us.”
He lowered his eyes.
“You're right.”
The words shocked her.
Victor had never admitted fault quickly.
Not in business.
Not in family.
Not ever.
He looked at the twins again.
“I made you feel unsafe.”
His voice broke slightly.
“And I am sorry.”
Before Nora could answer, Mateo shouted.
“Boss!”
Victor turned.
More headlights appeared through the snow.
A convoy.
Not Enzo’s.
Police.
Victor's expression changed.
He looked at Nora.
“Someone called them.”
Sylvia appeared behind the vehicles.
And in her hand was a folder.
“The evidence is ready,” she said.
“The war is over.”
Victor looked at her.
“No.”
May you like
He looked toward the road.
“It is just beginning.”
