Chapter 400
Chapter 400:
“I don’t care if the world burns,” Alistair snarled.
He opened a secure locker and pulled out a Sig Sauer. He checked the magazine with practiced ease.
“If she gets a scratch, I kill everyone on that island p>
Julian nodded slowly. “I’ll handle the press. Go p>
Alistair stormed out of the command center, heading for the yacht’s helipad.
The sound of the rotor blades spinning up was a roar of promise.
Back on the screen, the feed of Skye and Liam flickered. Then it cut to static.
The chat room on the side of the screen went wild.
Technical difficulties?
Did the camera break?
Alistair watched the static on his phone as he strapped into the pilot’s seat.
“Hang on, Skye,” he whispered.
The helicopter lifted off, banking sharply toward the island, cutting a path through the night like a vengeful god.
Deep in the woods, the air was heavy and still.
Skye and Liam reached the designated clearing. A wooden crate marked with the show’s logo sat in the center.
“Supply drop,” Liam said, leaning heavily on his cane to catch his breath. “Finally. I’m starving p>
He opened the lid.
It was empty.
“What?” Liam looked confused. “Is this part of the game p>
Skye pushed him aside and inspected the crate. She studied the padlock hasp. It hadn’t been picked. It had been shot off.
She leaned in. The smell of sulfur. Gunpowder residue.
“We need to leave,” Skye whispered, urgent.
“But we’ll lose points,” Liam argued. “We need the supplies p>
Suddenly, the drone hovering above them dipped violently. Its red tally light blinked rapidly—three short, three long, three short—before the lights cut out completely. With a mechanical whine, it shot upward and vanished into the darkness.
𝘙е𝖺𝗱 оn а𝗇𝘺 d𝖾v𝗶с𝖾 𝗼𝗇 𝘣𝗲.с𝘰m
“Hey!” Liam yelled at the sky. “Where are you going p>
CRACK.
A sound like a dry branch snapping, but infinitely louder.
Bark exploded from the tree trunk inches from Liam’s head.
Wood splinters showered his face.
Skye reacted on instinct. She tackled Liam.
She hit him hard, driving her shoulder into his chest and knocking him to the muddy ground.
“Sniper!” she hissed.
Thwip.
Another bullet hit the dirt exactly where Liam had been standing a second ago.
Liam lay in the mud, blinking. “Is this… special effects p>
Skye grabbed his collar and dragged him behind a larger rock formation.
“It’s real bullets, you idiot!” she screamed at him. “Someone is shooting at us p>
She checked her GPS watch. The screen was red.
Signal Jammed.
“They blocked the signal,” she muttered.
Heavy boots crunched through the leaves. Approaching. Not running.