Chapter 22: The Unveiled Truth

After giving each other one last glance, they turned and ran out of the study, leaving a trail of sound in the corridor. With a chorus of chirps and rustling leaves welcoming them, they rushed through the front door. There was nobody in the clearing. Neither Harold nor Marie were seen. However, the quiet was misleading. The tension, the sense of an impending clash, was almost palpable to John. Abruptly, there was a rumbling sound coming from the cabin. William and John looked at each other worriedly. It seems that Harold set off the tripwire. "Go!" William screamed and thrust the sound source into John's grasp. "Look for Marie! I'll do my best to fend him off." Heart thumping in his chest, John paused. Harold was a seasoned debt collector, so he couldn't leave William on his own. He was aware that William was correct. The only way out of this dilemma was to find Marie. John replied, his voice almost audible, "Be careful." He spun around and dove into the thick woodland,