**Chapter 10: Safe Haven**

As night began to fall, the cabin grew darker, the only sound the crackling of the fire and the occasional hoot of an owl outside. Nicole sat on a worn couch, her eyes fixed on the flames as they danced in the hearth. Rachel paced back and forth across the room, her anxiety evident in every step. Lena, on the other hand, seemed calm, her eyes closed as she leaned against the wall, her chest rising and falling with each slow breath. Nicole couldn't help but wonder what Lena's plan was, how they were going to disappear into the woods and evade Coop's men. She glanced over at Lena, who opened her eyes and met her gaze. "We'll wait until midnight," Lena said, her voice low. "Then we'll make our move." Rachel stopped pacing and turned to face Lena. "What's the plan?" she asked, her voice laced with skepticism. Lena smiled, a small, enigmatic smile. "We'll split up," she said. "Nicole and I will take the eastern path, and you can take the western path." Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Why do we have to split up?" she asked. Lena's smile grew wider. "Because it's safer this way," she said. "We can't all travel together. They'll be expecting that. By splitting up, we can confuse them and make it harder for them to track us." Nicole felt a pang of fear at the thought of splitting up. What if they got separated and couldn't find each other? What if Coop's men caught up with one of them? As if sensing her fear, Lena moved over to her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll be okay," she said. "I've been planning this for weeks. I know these woods like the back of my hand. We'll be safe." Rachel nodded, seeming to accept Lena's plan. "Okay," she said. "But we have to meet up again, somewhere. We can't just disappear into the woods and hope for the best." Lena nodded. "I know a place," she said. "A old ranger station, about five miles from here. We can meet up there in two days, at dawn." As they waited for midnight, Nicole couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. She was leaving the safety of the cabin, venturing into the unknown with no guarantee of making it out alive. But she also felt a sense of determination, a sense that she was going to make it through this, no matter what. As the clock struck midnight, Lena stood up, her eyes gleaming with a fierce determination. "It's time," she said. "Let's go." With a deep breath, Nicole stood up, ready to face whatever lay ahead. She glanced over at Rachel, who gave her a small nod of encouragement. Together, they followed Lena out of the cabin and into the darkness of the woods.