Chapter 9 - The Leap of Faith
Olivia felt her blood run entirely cold as she stared at the dying mercenary.
The engine was not slowing down; it was accelerating even faster toward the city limits.
A digital timer on a heavily wired panel near the engine's exhaust began beeping rapidly.
They had exactly sixty seconds before the massive bomb detonated.
"Hale, we have to jump!" Olivia screamed, running over to the wounded Colonel.
Hale gripped his bleeding thigh, his face pale and contorted in pain.
"I can't make that jump, Mitchell," Hale yelled back over the roaring wind.
"The fall will kill me."
"Staying here will definitely kill you!" Olivia argued, grabbing him by his tactical harness.
She dragged him to the edge of the speeding engine.
Below them, a massive, deep river ran parallel to the train tracks.
The train was moving incredibly fast, and the rocky shoreline looked like a jagged death trap.
"On three!" Olivia commanded, refusing to let him argue.
"One!"
The bomb timer ticked down to twenty seconds.
"Two!"
Flames began to spit from the overheated engine stacks.
"Three!"
Olivia threw her entire body weight off the side of the train, pulling Hale with her into the empty air.
They plummeted toward the dark, rushing water just as a blinding flash of light erupted from the tracks above.
The massive explosion sent a shockwave of heat and shrapnel directly over their heads.
They hit the freezing water with bone-crushing force.
The current violently dragged them downstream, tossing them against sharp underwater rocks.
Olivia fought desperately against the churning water, keeping a firm grip on Hale's uniform.
After what felt like an eternity, she managed to drag him onto the muddy banks of the Chicago River.
Hale was barely conscious, shivering violently and bleeding heavily from his leg.
"We have to keep moving," Hale whispered weakly.
"The coordinates for the vault are less than a mile from here."
Olivia supported his weight, and they stumbled through the dark, abandoned industrial district.
They eventually found the hidden entrance disguised as a forgotten subway maintenance tunnel.
They descended deep into the earth, finally reaching the massive, circular steel door of the subterranean vault.
To Olivia's absolute shock, the indestructible door was already wide open.
A soft, warm light spilled out from the pristine laboratory inside.
Olivia drew her weapon and stepped cautiously into the room, preparing for an ambush.
Standing in the center of the room, holding a glowing blue vial, was a woman.
The woman turned around, offering a gentle, loving smile.
May you like
Olivia dropped her gun instantly, tears welling up in her eyes.
The woman standing before her looked exactly like her deceased mother.
