Chapter 7 - The Wreckage
I slowly opened my eyes, my vision blurred by smoke and the smell of burning jet fuel.
The helicopter was resting on its side in the middle of a dark, snowy forest.
The cold air rushed through the shattered windshield, chilling me to the bone.
I looked over and saw my father slumped over the flight controls, bleeding heavily from a cut on his forehead.
"Dad," I whispered, reaching out with a trembling hand to touch his shoulder.
He groaned and slowly lifted his head, instantly unbuckling his harness.
He ignored his own injuries and rushed over to my stretcher, unstrapping me carefully.
"We have to move," he commanded softly, pulling me out of the wreckage into the freezing snow.
Another severe contraction hit me, forcing me to drop to my knees in the dirt.
My father picked me up in his strong arms, carrying me through the thick trees away from the burning chopper.
Within minutes, we heard the sound of heavy off-road vehicles approaching the crash site.
The syndicate boss had tracked the helicopter's beacon and sent his heavily armed search parties.
Flashlights cut through the darkness, sweeping across the snow just a few feet from our hiding spot.
My father dragged me behind a massive fallen oak tree, covering my mouth to silence my pained breathing.
Through the branches, I saw a tall man in a heavy winter coat step out of a black SUV.
It was the syndicate boss himself, holding a high-powered flashlight.
He barked orders at his men, telling them to shoot the Colonel on sight but to keep the pregnant woman alive.
My father checked his empty pockets, realizing he had absolutely no weapons left to defend us.
He looked down at me, his eyes filled with a desperate apology.
I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, silently telling him that I was ready to face whatever came next.
Suddenly, the syndicate boss stopped walking and stared directly at our hiding spot.
May you like
He raised his rifle and pointed it straight at my father's head.
"Found you," the boss whispered into the silent night.
