Chapter 10 - The Horizon
The digital monitor on Vance's chest began to beep rapidly as his heart rate plummeted toward zero.
Emily scrambled frantically toward the emergency medical kit mounted on the wall of the avionics bay.
She ripped the portable defibrillator off the bracket and tore open the adhesive pads.
She slapped the sticky pads onto Vance's bare chest, praying she was not too late to stop the countdown.
"Clear," she yelled, pressing the shock button with trembling fingers.
Vance’s body jolted violently, and the monitor beeped steadily again as his corrupted heart restarted.
Emily grabbed a roll of heavy duct tape and secured his hands, ensuring he could not interfere again.
With precious seconds left, she grabbed the heavy fire axe and found the external sensor relay box.
She swung the axe with all her remaining strength, completely shattering the plastic casing and severing the thick wires.
A loud metallic clunk echoed from the roof of the aircraft as the drone's magnetic clamps instantly failed.
The hostile machine was ripped away by the aggressive wind currents, tumbling helplessly into the dark ocean below.
Emily climbed exhaustedly back into the cockpit and retook her seat as the sun began to rise.
She successfully piloted the heavily damaged commercial jet toward an emergency military landing strip in the Azores.
The plane touched down roughly on the tarmac, surrounded instantly by dozens of heavily armed military police vehicles.
The passengers cheered and wept with joy as emergency slides were deployed and everyone evacuated safely.
Federal agents boarded the plane to arrest the incapacitated Colonel Vance, officially ending his reign of terror.
Emily sat quietly in the sterile airport terminal hours later, finally allowing herself to close her eyes in peace.
Then, a man wearing a dark suit sat directly beside her and silently handed her a live satellite photograph.
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The terrifying image showed Emily's daughter, whom she thought was perfectly safe at home, boarding an unmarked black helicopter in New York.
"The drone attack was just a distraction, Captain Carter, and your real mission begins right now," the mysterious agent whispered.
