Chapter 7 - IN THE VALLEY OF SHADOWS
"There she is!" Victoria screamed, pointing toward the edge of the woods. "The maid has the baby! Stop her!"
Two armed men broke away from the front of the house and sprinted into the dark forest after Sarah.
Sarah ran as fast as her legs could carry her through the dense trees, branches scratching her arms and face as she shielded baby Leo with her body. The ground was steep and uneven, sloping down toward the valley road.
Behind her, the shouts of her pursuers grew louder, accompanied by the heavy crunch of boots on dry leaves and twigs.
"You can't run forever, maid!" one of the men shouted through the dark.
Sarah reached a steep embankment overlooking the creek at the bottom of the hill. Realizing she couldn't outrun them on the open slope, she ducked inside a hollowed-out fallen oak tree covered in thick moss and fallen leaves.
She pulled Leo close, pressing her finger gently against his lips. "Shh, baby Leo, stay quiet," she whispered in a barely audible breath.
The infant seemed to understand the danger, tucking his face into Sarah's shoulder and remaining completely silent.
Seconds later, the two men crashed through the brush right past the fallen tree.
"Where'd she go?" one demanded, panting heavily.
"Check down by the creek! Hurry!"
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As the men ran down toward the water, Sarah slipped out from the back of the log and doubled back toward the main road, heading toward the valley highway where she could see the flashing red lights of approaching emergency vehicles in the distance.
