Page 87 of Rescuing Mia

The night explodes with the sound of combat, the clash of metal against metal. I want to hold on to Mia, but this conflict ends only one way.

It’s us or them.

I take the weapon Blake handed me and aim at the pilot.

We’re outgunned and outnumbered, but I’m an excellent shot.

I stare at the helicopter; its blades whip the ocean into a frenzy, and I take aim.

I steady my breath. My finger rests on the trigger, waiting for the perfect moment. The helicopter banks, its searchlight sweeping across the water.

For a split second, I have a clear view of the pilot.

I exhale, my body still, my mind focused on the single point between his eyes. The world around me fades away, the chaos of the battle receding until there is nothing but the target, the crosshairs, and the absolute certainty of the shot.

Before I pull the trigger, I already know the man’s dead.

The rifle kicks against my shoulder.

Time slows.

The bullet races through the air, a messenger of death and destruction.

A heartbeat later, the helicopter’s windshield shatters and a spiderweb of cracks radiate out from the point of impact. The pilot slumps and his hands fall away from the controls.

The helicopter lists to the side, headed toward a fatal eventuality.

For a moment, it hangs suspended in the air, then it plummets toward the water, its blades slicing through the air in a dizzying spiral.

My heart pounds as the helicopter slams into the water. The impact sends a plume of spray, the force of it rocking the RIB and sending us stumbling.

For a moment, there’s silence, a stillness that feels unnatural in the wake of the chaos. Then, the night erupts with shouts of triumph.

“Nice shot, Rigel.” Blake claps me on the shoulder, his eyes glinting with pride and relief.

But I barely hear him, my attention focused solely on Mia. I gather her in my arms, pressing my face to her hair, feeling the steady rise and fall of her chest against mine.

“You’re safe. I’ve got you.” I whisper the same thing over and over, my voice hoarse with emotion.

This is only the beginning.

The helicopter may be gone, but the threat to Mia’s life is far from over.

As the RIB speeds away from the wreckage, the flames of the burning helicopter cast an eerie glow across the water. I can’t shake the feeling Red Phoenix won’t stop until they have what they want: Mia silenced and the secrets she carries buried forever.

But I won’t let that happen.

Chapter Thirty-Two

MIA

Consciousness returns slowly,like a gentle tide lapping at the shores of my mind. The world is a hazy blur, a kaleidoscope of muted colors and indistinct shapes that dance at the edge of my perception. I try to blink away the fog, but it clings thick and heavy, dragging me back down into the depths of oblivion.

But then, through the haze, I feel it—a sensation of movement, the rhythmic bounce and sway that can only mean one thing: I’m on a boat.

But not the boat I was previously on.

The realization sends a jolt of fear shooting through me, releasing a spike of adrenaline that makes my heart race. It slams against my ribs, desperate for escape, but is trapped.