Lena's POV
Footfall thundered outside the hut, then the piercing sound of wood splintering under pressure. As I froze, adrenaline surged through my heart. Jacob was positioned by the window, rifle pointed, poised to defend us.
"Stay low," he said, turning back to face the assembly.
Pulling Alex down next to me, I bent behind a battered recliner. "What are we meant to do?" My voice was hardly audible, I asked.
"We are going to fight," he declared with a strong, determined look. "We cannot let them take us without a struggle."
In my head spun. This was it—that confrontation I had both expected and dreaded. We had gone so far, confronted so many threats, and now we were about to battle for our lives.
With a smash, the door opened to expose a troop of men pouring into the cabin. The hea
