bChapter 134 /b

bOLIMA’S /bPOV

b“/bSearch everywhere. I want them found,” a deep male voice barked just outside the cold room where we were hiding.

The weight of his words dropped like a hammer in my chest. It wasn’t a robbery. This wasn’t some random break–in by petty thieves looking for cash or jewelry. No. This was targeted. Coordinated. Calcted. They knew we were here–how many of us there were, even where we might be hiding, bWhoever /bsent them had a purpose, and it chilled me even more than the freezing air surrounding us.

I crouched in the corner of the cold room, my knees drawn to my chest as the numbing cold began creeping up my fingers and toes. My breath came out in shallow wisps of fog, and I had to resist the urge to rub my arms for warmth. Any sound could give us away.

Julian, on the other hand, still seemed oddly calm–even though he had given his shirt to Mom. I didn’t understand how he wasn’t shivering, how he could keep hisposure like that. His eyes were alert, and focused, listening to every sound outside like he’d been trained for this.

At least we were safe for now. The door was thick, heavy, reinforced metal. It would take a lot to break through it, and for the moment, that gave me ba /bthin thread offort to hold onto. Thin–but it was all I had.

Then-

BANG!!

The loud metallic thud against the cold room door nearly made me jump out of my skin. My hand flew to my mouth to stifle a scream. Someone had struck the door hard. Probably with something heavy. Panic wed at my throat.

“This is the only ce we haven’t checked,” a voice said from right outside the door.

I looked over at Julian, my eyes wide with fear. He turned to me and put his index finger to his lipsb, /bsignaling for absolute silence. Even Mom curled up in the corner with Julian’s shirt around her, didn’t make a sound. The only noise in the room was the sound of our breathing–and even that, I tried to

silence.

BANG. BANG.

Another strike. This time harder. More forceful. My heart pounded iso /iloudly in my chest that I was convinced they could hear bit /bthrough the door.

“Come on, boss, that’s obviously a cold room,” one of the men said, “No one would be stupid enough to hide in there. They’ll freeze to death.”

“We were paid to get the job done,” the leader snapped. “We search every single ce in this house. Is that clear?”

“Yes, boss. But how do we get it open?”

There was a pause as we heard someone jiggle the handle, trying to force it open.

“Nice try,” the leader called out, his voice now louder. “But we know you’re in there. Come out now, or we’ll get in and drag you out ourselvesb./bb“/b.

A beat of silence followed‘

“Who are you talking to, boss?” another man asked, confused.

“Try using at least a small percentage of your brainb,/b” the leader said, his voiceced with sarcasm and annoyance. “See that lever handle? It’s bmoving /bslightly. That means it’s locked from the inside, genius.”

My heart sank.

“Now go get the iron cutter,” he ordered.

Those bfive /bwords sliced through me like a de. Iron cutterb? /bThat was bit/b. bIf /bthey brought that tool hereb, /bthey bcould /bbcut /bbthrough /bbthe /bdoor band /bbreach /bbus/bb. /bbIt /b

b1/3 /b

sun tour, c

bwould /bbtake /bbtime/bb, /bbyes/bb, /bbbut /bbnot /bbtoo /blong. If the police bdidn’t /bbshow /bbup /bbsoon/bb, /bwe were finishedb, /b

bJulian’s /bbjaw /btightened, and I could see the muscles in his neck flexing. Even he looked concerned now.

Then bwe /bbheard /bit ba /bfaint mechanical whirring.

bThe /bsound of a machine powering up.

bAnd /bno one needed to tell me what that meant.

They wereing.

They were really going to break through.

Then it happened–the sharp, screeching sound of iron grinding against iron echoed from just outside the cold room. It sent a chill down my spine that had nothing to do with the room’s freezing temperature. They had begun cutting through the metal door. My eyes darted to my mother, whose breath had turned ragged and panicked. Her hands trembled as she opened her mouth to cry out.

Before she could make a sound, Julian reacted quickly. He reached over and gently yet firmly covered her mouth with his hand. “Shhhb,/bb” /bhe whispered, voice low and steady. “Just breathe, Mom. We’re going to be okay. You have to stay calm.”

Despite the dire situation we were in, Julian still managed to stayposed. His shirtless body was trembling slightly from the cold, but his expression was solid–focused. I clung to his calmness like a lifeline, trying to steady my own panicked breathing.

The sound outside intensified. The iron cutter whirred louder, grinding with more power now. Small sparks began to fly from the edges of the door. Then, faintly at first, but growing stronger, a sliver of light pierced through the edge of the metal as the cutter made progress. The once–solid barrier between us and them was slowly being torn away.

My mother, unable to hold it together any longer, closed her eyes and began whispering prayers, tears slipping down her cheeks. I reached for her hand band /bheld it tightly, squeezing it for reassurance even though I wasn’t sure I could believe my own false sense of hope.

I had naively assumed that it would take a long time for them to break through. I thought we had more time. But that illusion shattered when I heard the first hinge snap and the door creaked, partially breaking off. The sharp ng of heavy metal hitting the floor rang in my earsb, /bnearly deafening bme/b.

I flinched violently as my mother let out a scream, her voice filled with fear and despair. My body froze as the second hinge quickly bfollowed /bthe first. They were determined and efficient. This wasn’t random–these men were trained or at least highly motivated.

Julian pulled us closer, wrapping one arm around my mother and the other around me, trying to shield us from whatever wasing next. I could feel his heart racing, the heat of his skin strangelyforting despite the cold air pressing in from all sides.

With a final groan of strained metal, the entire iron door fell inward with a thunderous crash. Dust and cold air exploded into the room, and two armed men faces hidden behind ck ski masksb, /bstormed in with military–like precision. Their weapons were raised and pointed directly at us.

“Bring them upstairs!” barked their leaderb, /bwho stood tall in the doorway, his silhouette backlit by the hallway light.

“Get up. Now,” one of the masked men growled, jerking his rifle toward the entrance in ba /bmanding gesture.

The police weren’t here yet. I couldn’t hear any sirens. No screeching tires. No shing lights. Just the suffocating silence of danger closing in. bI /bturned bto /blook bat /bJulian, panic rising in my chest. He met my eyes and gave me a smallb, /balmost imperceptible nod. It was his silent way bof /bsaying: do what they say -for now.

Were these people here to kill us? bTo /bkidnap us? We had no answers, just endless questions, and one terrifying reality–we were in their hands now.

Julian leaned toward my mom and whispered, “Everything is going to be okay. Let’s just do as they say.” He was trying bto /bfort her, but even bhe /bcouldn’t hide the uncertainty in his voice.

bWe /bslowly stood, stiff from bthe /bcold and fear. The masked men stayed close, their guns tracking our every movement. We couldn’t even see their beyes- /bjust the dark holes in their masksb, /bvoid of expression or mercy.

b12:29 /bbSun/bb, /bb1 /bbJun /bG

“Don’t even think of trying anything funny,” one of the men behind Julian said, his voiceced with warning.

And just like that, we began our forced walk toward the unknown.