Chapter 7 - The Final Countdown
I stared in absolute horror as the red numbers dropped to five minutes.
“Marcus overrides the system remotely,” Damian gasped, spitting blood onto the wet leaves.
“He is trying to force my hand before we can reach medical help.”
We ran through the forest as fast as Damian’s failing body would allow.
The thumping sound of helicopter blades finally echoed through the trees, a beacon of hope in the dark.
We burst into the clearing, where a black helicopter sat waiting with its engine roaring.
Victor practically threw Damian into the passenger seat before climbing into the cockpit.
I buckled Lila in securely and strapped myself into the seat beside Damian.
The helicopter lifted off the ground, tilting aggressively toward the glowing lights of the city.
“Four minutes,” I shouted over the noise of the rotors.
Damian closed his eyes, his breathing growing dangerously shallow.
“Clara, if I do not make it, the codes are hidden inside Lila’s stuffed rabbit,” he confessed weakly.
I looked at the worn cloth toy resting safely in my daughter’s lap.
He had hidden his empire inside the one thing nobody would ever suspect.
“You are going to make it, Damian,” I insisted, squeezing his cold hand tightly.
The hospital landing pad came into view, illuminated by bright emergency lights.
Victor pushed the helicopter to its absolute limits, landing with a heavy, jarring thud on the roof.
“Go!” Victor yelled, staying behind to monitor the radio.
I supported Damian’s weight as we stumbled out of the helicopter and ran toward the roof access door.
We crashed through the stairwell doors, descending rapidly toward the cardiac wing on the fifth floor.
“Two minutes,” I cried out, terrified by how cold Damian’s skin had become.
We burst into the empty surgical ward, kicking open the doors to the emergency operating room.
I laid him flat on the operating table, frantically searching for the electromagnetic pulse device he had mentioned earlier.
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I found the heavy metal machine in the corner and dragged it over to the table.
Before I could turn the machine on, the power in the entire hospital completely cut out.
