Chapter 9 - The Mud Fight
The flare arched beautifully through the rain and struck the pool of leaking gasoline beneath the truck.
A massive wall of orange fire erupted instantly, lighting up the entire embankment.
The concussive force of the explosion knocked Marcus off his feet and threw him backward into the mud.
The armored truck was engulfed in flames, raining fiery debris down the hill.
I didn't wait for him to recover.
I kicked my jammed door open and scrambled out into the freezing rain.
I clutched the baby tightly to my chest, slipping and sliding in the deep mud.
David suddenly groaned and rolled over, coughing up rainwater.
He saw the burning wreckage and pushed himself up onto his knees.
Marcus roared in anger, rising from the mud with his hunting knife firmly in hand.
He ignored me and charged straight at his brother, ready to end it.
David stood up just in time to catch Marcus's wrist as the blade came down.
The two brothers crashed into the mud, locked in a brutal, desperate struggle for survival.
I backed away, terrified, unable to help without putting the baby in danger.
David landed a heavy punch to Marcus's jaw, but Marcus slashed wildly, cutting David's shoulder.
They rolled over the slick grass, completely covered in mud and blood.
David finally managed to pin Marcus's knife arm to the ground with his knee.
He brought his elbow down with crushing force onto Marcus's temple.
Marcus went completely limp, his body sinking into the soft earth.
David collapsed onto his back, panting heavily, clutching his bleeding shoulder.
The sound of wailing police sirens suddenly cut through the roar of the burning truck.
Three state trooper vehicles screeched to a halt on the highway above us.
Officers poured out, sliding down the embankment with their flashlights sweeping over the wreckage.
I stepped forward out of the shadows, expecting to finally be rescued.
Instead, five blinding tactical flashlights pinned me against the trees.
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The officers drew their service weapons and aimed them directly at my chest.
A voice screamed through a bullhorn, ordering me to drop the kidnapped infant immediately or they would open fire.
