Chapter 134
OLIMA’S POV
“Search 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. Calculated. They knew we were here–how many of us there were, even where we might be hiding, Whoever sent 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 his composure 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 a thin thread of comfort 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 clawed at my throat.
“This is the only place 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 lips, signaling 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 so loudly in my chest that I was convinced they could hear it through 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 place 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 ourselves.“.
A beat of silence followed‘
“Who are you talking to, boss?” another man asked, confused.
“Try using at least a small percentage of your brain,” the leader said, his voice laced with sarcasm and annoyance. “See that lever handle? It’s moving slightly. That means it’s locked from the inside, genius.”
My heart sank.
“Now go get the iron cutter,” he ordered.
Those five words sliced through me like a blade. Iron cutter? That was it. If they brought that tool here, they could cut through the door and reach us. It
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would take time, yes, but not too long. If the police didn’t show up soon, we were finished,
Julian’s jaw tightened, and I could see the muscles in his neck flexing. Even he looked concerned now.
Then we heard it a faint mechanical whirring.
The sound of a machine powering up.
And no one needed to tell me what that meant.
Before she could make a sound, Julian reacted quickly. He reached over and gently yet firmly covered her mouth with his hand. “Shhh,” he whispered, voice low and steady. “Just breathe, Mom. We’re going to be okay. You have to stay calm.”
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 and held 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 clang of heavy metal hitting the floor rang in my ears, nearly deafening me.
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 followed the 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 was coming next. I could feel his heart racing, the heat of his skin strangely comforting 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 black ski masks, stormed in with military–like precision. Their weapons were raised and pointed directly at us.
“Bring them upstairs!” barked their leader, who 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 a commanding gesture.
The police weren’t here yet. I couldn’t hear any sirens. No screeching tires. No flashing lights. Just the suffocating silence of danger closing in. I turned to look at Julian, panic rising in my chest. He met my eyes and gave me a small, almost imperceptible nod. It was his silent way of saying: do what they say -for now.
Were these people here to kill us? To kidnap 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 to comfort her, but even he couldn’t hide the uncertainty in his voice.
We slowly stood, stiff from the cold and fear. The masked men stayed close, their guns tracking our every movement. We couldn’t even see their eyes- just the dark holes in their masks, void of expression or mercy.
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Chapter 134
“Don’t even think of trying anything funny,” one of the men behind Julian said, his voice laced with warning.
And just like that, we began our forced walk toward the unknown.


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