Chapter 17 - The Ranger's Fall
Daniel frantically scanned the muddy ground around the oak tree, desperate for anything he could use to defend his sister.
His hand brushed against a heavy, jagged piece of rusted metal, half-buried in the dirt.
It was an old, heavy iron railroad spike, completely left behind from a long-abandoned logging trail.
Daniel gripped the cold iron spike, his knuckles turning white as adrenaline flooded his exhausted system.
The beam of Elias's flashlight suddenly snapped directly onto the trunk of their oak tree.
“I know you are right there, Daniel. It is over. Step out slowly,” Elias ordered, his voice echoing coldly over the thunder.
Daniel looked down at Emma, pressing his finger to his lips, silently begging her to stay perfectly still.
He took a deep breath, stepped out from behind the heavy oak tree, and raised his empty left hand in surrender.
“You don't have to do this, Elias. You can just let us walk away,” Daniel yelled, keeping his right hand hidden behind his leg.
Elias chuckled darkly, raising his suppressed pistol and aiming it directly at Daniel’s chest.
“Your mother promised me ten million dollars and a private island, kid. I am not letting you walk anywhere,” Elias stated.
As Elias stepped forward to close the distance, the muddy ground beneath his heavy combat boots suddenly gave way.
The torrential rain had completely washed out the hidden, steep edge of the old logging ditch.
Elias slipped, his arms flailing wildly as he slid down the steep embankment, completely losing his balance.
Daniel didn't hesitate for a single second.
He lunged forward with explosive speed, leaping down into the muddy ditch just as Elias hit the bottom.
Before the massive ranger could raise his pistol, Daniel brought the heavy iron railroad spike down with all his remaining strength.
He struck Elias squarely on the side of his skull, producing a sickening, heavy crack.
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Elias’s eyes rolled back in his head, and his massive body collapsed heavily into the freezing mud, completely unconscious.
Daniel grabbed the suppressed pistol from Elias's limp hand, his chest heaving violently as he climbed back up to Emma.
