Chapter 401
Chapter 401:
Walking. The walk of men who knew their prey was trapped.
Skye looked around. To their left was a steep drop-off. A ravine.
It was dark, choked with vines.
“We have to jump,” Skye said.
“What?” Liam looked over the edge. “It’s too steep. My leg p>
“Jump or die, Liam,” Skye said.
The mercenaries came into view through the trees. Black tactical gear. Night-vision goggles. Assault rifles raised.
Skye didn’t wait. She grabbed Liam’s arm and threw her weight forward, forcing him over the edge.
They didn’t tumble freely. Skye caught a thick vine as they went over, slowing their descent for a split second before her grip slipped.
They slid down the muddy slope, a chaotic, terrifying plunge through ferns and jagged rocks.
Skye tried to dig her heels in, but the mud was like grease. She saw Liam’s leg catch on a root and heard him cry out in agony as his body twisted, but momentum dragged him down.
Bullets whizzed over their heads, cutting through the foliage.
They hit the bottom hard, landing in a shallow creek bed. The water was cold.
Skye sat up, gasping. Her ankle throbbed.
She looked at Liam. He was groaning, clutching his bad leg. He wasn’t getting up. The slide had done what the sniper hadn’t—it had incapacitated him.
“The game is over,” she whispered, looking up at the ridge where flashlight beams swept the dark. “This is war p>
Rain began to fall. It started as a drizzle, then quickly escalated into a tropical downpour that turned the ravine into a mudslide.
Skye tried to stand. A sharp pain shot up her leg. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. Her ankle was definitely sprained.
Liam wiped the mud from his eyes. He saw her wince. Something shifted in him. The confusion vanished, replaced by grim determination. The CEO was gone. The man remained.
He tried to sit up, but his face went gray with pain. He couldn’t stand. His leg was useless.
“I can’t walk,” Liam gritted out. “Leave me. Run p>
𝗕𝘳𝗈𝘸sе 𝗯y саt𝖾𝗴𝗈𝗿𝘆 o𝗻 𝗯𝘦.𝖼о𝘮
“No,” Skye said. She crawled over to him in the mud. “I’m not leaving you to be executed p>
She grabbed his arm and draped it over her shoulder. “Help me. Push with your good leg p>
It was an agonizing crawl. Skye dragged him through the rising water of the creek, her breath coming in ragged sobs.
Every inch was a battle against gravity and pain.
“There,” Skye said, pointing.
A small opening in the rock face, hidden behind a curtain of thick vines. A cave.
She shoved him inside first, then squeezed in after him. It was tight, damp, and smelled of earth, but it was dry. They collapsed on the sandy floor. It was pitch black.
Liam fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a waterproof lighter—one of the few useful items from the survival kit.
He flicked it. A small flame danced, illuminating their faces. They were both covered in mud, bleeding from small scratches. Liam tore the hem of his linen shirt and handed the strips to Skye, his hands shaking.
“For your ankle,” he said.
Skye took the cloth and bound her ankle tight. She watched him. She shivered, the adrenaline crash leaving her freezing. Liam shifted to sit next to her, close enough to share body heat.
“How did you know?” Liam asked quietly.
Skye stared at the flame. “Know what p>
“That it was a sniper,” Liam said. “That sound. Most people would think it was a firecracker. Or a branch p>