Chapter 6 - The Devil's Bargain
The deafening roar of the helicopter blades almost drowned out the sound of Tyler’s screaming voice.
He dangled my fragile, newborn granddaughter dangerously over the freezing, wind-swept drop to the concrete below.
Tyler demanded that Marcus and his men drop their weapons immediately, or he would let the baby fall into the darkness.
I lowered my pistol instantly, my heart stopping completely as I stared at the horrifying madness in my son-in-law’s eyes.
Marcus signaled his men to stand down, and a tense, agonizing silence fell over the chaotic rooftop.
Eleanor slapped Tyler across the face, furious that he was risking her priceless heir for a dramatic standoff.
She ordered the pilot to stabilize the aircraft just ten feet above the roof, keeping us perfectly trapped in their cruel game.
Eleanor leaned out of the cabin, the freezing rain violently whipping her expensive designer clothes.
She looked down at me with a victorious, venomous smile and offered a twisted bargain.
She promised to hand Lily safely back to me if I surrendered the original copy of my late husband’s security footage.
She knew the digital file I possessed could completely destroy her political connections and land her in federal prison forever.
I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the small, encrypted silver flash drive containing the evidence.
Tyler laughed nervously, demanding that I throw the drive up into the helicopter cabin right now.
I told them I needed to physically hold my granddaughter before I surrendered the only leverage I had left.
Eleanor sneered, grabbing Tyler’s collar and forcing him to lower the aircraft slightly closer to the wet concrete.
The landing skids hovered just inches out of my reach, the violent wind from the rotors nearly knocking me off my feet.
Tyler slowly extended his arms, lowering the crying baby toward my desperately outstretched hands.
Just as my fingertips brushed against the soft fabric of Lily's blanket, Tyler violently yanked her back.
He laughed a cruel, hollow laugh, mocking my desperate hope while Eleanor extended her hand to catch the flash drive.
Suddenly, the heavy rooftop access doors blasted completely off their steel hinges behind me.
Rachel stumbled out onto the freezing roof, her hospital gown soaked with rain, holding a massive fire axe she had ripped from the wall.
She did not scream, cry, or negotiate with the monsters holding her child hostage.
Rachel swung the heavy axe with absolute, terrifying maternal fury, burying the sharp steel directly into the helicopter's landing skid.
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The violent impact shattered a critical hydraulic line, spraying highly pressurized fluid directly into the aircraft's hot exhaust pipe.
A massive fireball instantly erupted across the side of the helicopter, completely engulfing the cabin door in blinding flames.
