Chapter 8 - The miracle
I grabbed a heavy metal fire extinguisher from the wall and slammed it against the jammed latch. Sparks flew, but the heavy locking mechanism refused to break apart. The flames in the main cabin were spreading incredibly fast, melting the plastic panels above my head. "Lila, please wake up!" I screamed, slamming my bleeding fists against the small glass window. I swung the heavy extinguisher one final time with every ounce of desperate strength I possessed in my body. The metal latch finally snapped with a loud crack, and the heavy cargo door swung open. Thick, toxic black smoke poured out as I dove into the tiny compartment. I grabbed Lila by the shoulders of her oversized sleep shirt and dragged her dead weight toward the exit. My vision started to blur, and my legs felt like they were made of heavy lead. We tumbled out of the emergency exit together, sliding down the inflatable ramp just as the main cabin flashed with bright orange fire. Sterling and his driver rushed forward, pulling us away from the burning wreckage. I collapsed onto the wet grass, pulling Lila's motionless body tightly against my chest. "Breathe, baby, please breathe," I sobbed hysterically, rocking her back and forth. Sterling checked her pulse, his face grim and covered in dark soot. It felt like the entire universe had stopped spinning. Suddenly, Lila gasped violently, coughing up dark smoke and crying out for me. "I am right here, I have you," I wept, kissing her soot-covered face over and over again. Flashing red and blue lights suddenly completely surrounded the airfield. Dozens of heavily armed federal agents swarmed the grass, guns drawn and aimed in every direction. But as I looked over to where I had left Eleanor in the dirt, my blood ran instantly cold. The scattered money was still there, but my mother had completely vanished into the night.
