Buster's Journey

Mara slips through the back door and vanishes into the dark trees, moving fast and low, using the cabin’s rear lights to hide her shape.

At the front window, the searchlight keeps washing over Buster and the porch. The callers hold their line, tense but fixed on the glare.

Mara circles wide through the woods, comes up behind the intruders, and snaps a branch beneath her boot on purpose. Their formation breaks at once.

In the confusion, Mara steps into view at their rear, hard-eyed and ready, and the callers whip around to face her instead of the window.

That split-second distraction opens the front completely. Buster has a clean angle now, while the porch line stumbles and reorients around Mara’s sudden strike from behind.

Buster bursts through the front door in one heavy stride, cutting across the porch glare before either caller can reset their stance. His hands clamp onto both of them at once, fingers locking hard at the back of their necks.

The Caller is yanked forward and down, flashlight jerking wild. Unknown Caller loses balance beside them, their shoulders jolting under Buster’s grip as the porch boards creak under the sudden strain.

Mara freezes behind them for a beat, then keeps moving, using the opening Buster makes to stay out of their reach. The searchlight skews off the window and skitters across the yard.

Buster holds both intruders in place at the porch edge, their attention torn away from the cabin and pinned on him instead. The log slip sits exposed on the crate inside, untouched as the siege breaks.

Mara slips past the line of fire, breath sharp, eyes on Buster as the porch threat buckles around his grip.