Chapter 8 - The Rooftop Standoff
I dropped Marcus onto the cold floor and sprinted desperately toward the concrete stairwell.
Victoria’s mercenaries immediately surrounded Marcus, ensuring he could not escape the lobby.
My lungs burned fiercely as I took the concrete stairs two at a time, completely ignoring the sharp pain in my side.
I burst through the heavy metal roof access door, stepping out into the freezing night air.
The deafening roar of an approaching helicopter echoed loudly above the desolate medical facility.
Diane was standing near the edge of the helipad, clutching a small, bundled blanket tightly to her chest.
Lily’s medical IV pole had been completely discarded, and the essential tubes were violently ripped from her arm.
"Put her down, Diane!" I screamed over the roaring wind of the helicopter blades.
Diane turned to face me, her eyes completely wild and devoid of any remaining sanity.
"If I can't have the insurance money, you definitely don't get to have the happy ending!" Diane shrieked defensively.
She took a terrifying step backward, moving dangerously close to the unprotected ledge of the five-story roof.
I froze entirely, holding my hands up in a desperate gesture of complete surrender.
"Please, Diane, just give me my baby and you can walk away from all of this," I begged, tears streaming hotly down my face.
The dark helicopter hovered just a few feet above the pad, a rope ladder dropping down toward the roof.
Diane looked at the ladder, then looked back down at the frail child in her arms.
"I never actually wanted to be a mother," Diane confessed, her voice cracking with selfish bitterness.
She reached out and forcefully shoved my fragile, eight-year-old daughter directly toward the edge of the roof.
I lunged forward with explosive speed, diving blindly across the rough, gravel-covered surface.
I managed to grab the very edge of Lily’s thick blanket just as she slid off the concrete ledge.
My entire body slammed brutally into the low retaining wall, knocking the breath completely out of my lungs.
I dangled dangerously over the terrifying drop, using every single muscle in my arm to hold onto my child.
Diane did not even look back to see if we had survived the fall.
She sprinted desperately toward the swinging rope ladder, attempting to escape into the dark sky.
But as she grabbed the lowest rung of the ladder, the helicopter pilot suddenly leaned completely out of the cockpit.
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The pilot kicked Diane aggressively in the chest, sending her plummeting backward onto the hard concrete roof.
The helicopter immediately pulled away, abandoning the treacherous woman to her inevitable fate.
