Chapter 8 - The Crash
The helicopter violently jerked sideways as the dead pilot slumped heavily onto the flight controls.
The massive metal machine spun wildly out of control, barely ten feet above the shipping containers.
I desperately wrestled with Miller, ignoring his heavy fists crashing repeatedly into my ribs.
David grabbed the fake Claire and pinned her aggressively against the side door of the spinning chopper.
The helicopter's tail rotor violently clipped the top of a steel crane, sending us plummeting downward.
We crashed incredibly hard into the dark, freezing waters of the harbor with a deafening metal crunch.
Ice-cold water instantly flooded the dark cabin, pulling us rapidly toward the bottom of the bay.
I kicked Miller away from me and frantically unbuckled Lily from her heavy safety harness.
I grabbed the little girl and swam desperately toward the shattered front windshield.
My lungs burned with pure agony as I kicked toward the faint moonlight on the surface.
We finally broke through the freezing water, gasping violently for precious air.
I dragged Lily onto a floating wooden dock and collapsed in absolute exhaustion.
David emerged from the dark water a few seconds later, coughing up seawater and blood.
He pulled himself onto the dock and completely collapsed beside me, clutching a severe wound on his side.
The fake Claire and Detective Miller did not surface from the submerged wreckage.
I held Lily tightly against my chest, completely ignoring the dangerous toxins on her skin.
I knew my own life was already over, but saving the child was the only thing that mattered.
Suddenly, a bright searchlight from a massive Coast Guard vessel swept across our wooden dock.
Heavily armed federal agents swarmed the dock, wrapping us in warm thermal blankets and pulling us to safety.
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I looked up at the lead FBI agent and realized the horrific nightmare was finally coming to an end.
The agent smiled warmly, but then I noticed the small green cup resting in his tactical vest pocket.
