Kaitlynn and her two children

ts that were two sizes too big and grabbed the axe from the shed. The front door

eeded

forest. Cason and Paige trailed behind her, Cason with

ynn said, swinging the axe experime

to," Cas

uck closer to

powerful swing. The blade bit deep. She swung again, and again, finding a rhythm. The physical labor fe

He had never seen his mother chop wood. The ol

of rope, hoisting the bundle onto her shoulder. It was heavy, but her muscle

he said, starting do

son's voic

topped. "W

ow, overgrown trail branched off into t

with weeds and fallen branches. It looked like it hadn

red his hand, his expression unreadable. "I j

al box. Kaitlynn looked at the trail, then back at her son. She remembered the file, the

said. "Lea

ason onto the overgrown path. Paige clutched the ba

rew thicker, blocking out the sun. The air gre

rneath it, the cop

e logs, letting them crash to the forest floor. She

ay back,"

es scanning the underbrush. She rounded a

reeted her made

of a ravine. The front end was accordioned, steam hissing from th

lem. It was the body lying

ed expensive-a silk shirt, designer jeans-but they were torn and soaked

reats. The woods were silent. No engine so

en, definitely. But as she moved up his torso, her fingers found something else. Puncture wounds. Sharp, clean cuts that weren't caused by a car crash. The wounds were deep, but

een stabbed. M

. It was a hit. And the

oice came from the bushe

He was young. Too young. He looked like a kid who had been playing

him dead would come looking for him. If she took him in, she would be

e. Could she save one child while letting another die? Could she preach abou

decision in t

er voice steady. "Paige. C

saw the blood, hiding her face in Cason's shoulder

ead?" Ca

n stood up. "We're

just nodded, as if he h

akeshift stretcher. She rolled the boy onto it as gently as she could, securing hi

nd through the woods. The boy was dead weight, and the terrain was rough.

. She just gritted