PART 7: Breaking the Chains
PART 7: Breaking the Chains
Rusty padlocks release decade-old burdens.
“Harrison...?”
The man tied to the post whispered the name like it was an impossible illusion conjured by fever and starvation.
Harrison dropped his flashlight, sliding across the dirt floor to fall onto his knees right beside the wooden post.
With trembling hands, he pulled a tactical knife from his belt and sliced through the thick nylon ropes binding Scott’s wrists and torso, catching his friend as he slumped forward into his arms.
“I’m here, Scott. I’m right here,” Harrison choked out, tears finally breaking free and spilling down his cheeks, mixing with the sweat and rain on his face. “You found me... or rather, your son found me.”
Scott blinked heavily, leaning his weight against Harrison’s shoulder as the circulation slowly returned to his numb limbs.
“Leo...?” Scott’s voice cracked, panic flaring in his hollow eyes. “Did... did they hurt him? I told him to run into the woods... I told him to find the man with the watch...”
“He’s safe,” Harrison assured him fiercely, holding him tight. “He’s back at my estate right now, eating hot soup and sleeping in a warm bed. He’s untouched, Scott. Because of how brave he was tonight.”
A long, shuddering sigh of pure relief rippled through Scott’s frail body.
He rested his forehead against Harrison’s shoulder, letting out a wet, broken laugh that carried ten years of silent suffering.
“I didn't think I’d ever see civilization again, Harrison,” Scott whispered. “After the avalanche... the men who claimed this land found me. They said if I walked away, they’d hunt down my family. They trapped us out here... forced me to work the old illegal logging shafts.”
“They’re never going to touch you again,” Harrison promised, his voice hardening into a vow of absolute vengeance. “Every single man involved in this operation is going away for the rest of their natural lives. They will never see the sun.”
Vance appeared at the top of the cellar ladder, shining his light down into the pit.
“Boss, we’ve secured the perimeter and loaded the hostiles into the transport van. Medical team is standing by in the lead SUV.”
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“Good,” Harrison said, gently hooking his arm around Scott’s waist and hauling him to his feet. “Let’s get him out of this hellhole.”
With Vance pulling from above and Harrison lifting from below, they hoisted the exhausted, rescued guide out of the dark cellar and into the cool, fresh air of the mountain night.
