Chapter 9 - The Ascent
The entire oil rig violently shudders as another massive explosion rips through the lower decks.
Hadrian dodges a lethal slash from Viper's combat knife, the blade barely missing his throat.
He grabs Viper's wrist, twists it with bone-breaking force, and throws his former friend into the sparking console.
Viper collapses in a heap, heavily electrocuted by the exposed wiring.
Hadrian ignores the agonizing pain in his battered body and leaps onto the railing near the suspended cage.
He draws a heavy pistol from his holster and takes careful aim at the thick steel locking mechanism.
He fires three rapid shots, shattering the heavy padlock into a shower of twisted metal.
He kicks the cage door open and pulls Sorrel out just as the chains completely give way.
The heavy cage plunges into the dark, fiery abyss, crashing violently hundreds of feet below.
Hadrian tucks his daughter under his arm and sprints toward the emergency exterior stairwell.
The Fiancée crawls out of the debris, her designer clothes torn and covered in soot.
She grabs Viper’s dropped pistol and blindly fires at Hadrian's retreating back.
A bullet grazes Hadrian's shoulder, ripping through his jacket, but he does not stop running.
They burst through the heavy blast doors and step out onto the rain-slicked upper deck.
The violent ocean storm is at its peak, whipping freezing rain across their faces.
A sleek, modern escape helicopter sits strapped to the emergency helipad, fully fueled and ready.
Hadrian kicks away the wheel chocks and throws Sorrel into the co-pilot seat.
He jumps in, rapidly flipping the ignition switches to bring the powerful engines to life.
Before the rotors can reach full speed, the cabin door is ripped violently open from the outside.
The Fiancée hauls herself inside, completely drenched and laughing like a total maniac.
She presses the barrel of the pistol directly against Hadrian's bleeding temple.
"Fly me out of here right now, or I will kill you both and learn to fly it myself!"
Hadrian stares straight ahead into the storm, his hands tightly gripping the flight stick.
"I always hated flying," he whispers coldly.
He yanks the collective stick upward while simultaneously kicking the left rudder pedal with all his might.
May you like
The helicopter shoots violently sideways, throwing the Fiancée completely off balance as she pulls the trigger.
The bullet shatters the main control panel, sending the helicopter spiraling out of control toward the raging black ocean.
