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Chapter 16: No Escape
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2025-03-01 21:56:05The word lingered in Juniper's thoughts.
Run. But she couldn't move. His face looked gray, and Adrian's lips parted slightly as if his desire to talk was more profound. He flopped against the stretcher, his body in an unrecognizable state with only a faint chest rising and falling. As the paramedics pumped through Juniper's pulse, they applied gauze to his gunshot wound, fastened him in, and monitored his vitals. The neck of Adrian was touched by a paramedic. “Although Pulse is weak, he’s still alive.”. Still with us. Juniper exhaled shakily. She had to accompany him. She turned and followed, but an arm suddenly appeared. Her actions were swift to stop.... A uniformed officer. We need your input, Mama. His tone was serene, like the most relaxed voice in the world. What could he say?' With a stoic demeanor, Juniper attempted to push him aside. "No, not at all!". He just told me—”. BOOM! The blast shattered the atmosphere.' The boat slid violently beneath Juniper's feet, which was only a short time ago. Her back was pushed forward by the force of heat and pressure. She hit the deck with great force, her palms rubbing against the damp metal surface. ". A loud sound was heard in her ears. Shouts erupted around her. The officers scrambled. Juniper lifted her head. Her breath caught. A ball of fire jutting into the night sky was visible. The first boat. The one that attacked them. Gone. Debris plummeted into the water.' Thin smoke billowed and slammed into the storm clouds above. Juniper's stomach twisted. Someone had destroyed it. Someone didn't want any evidence to be left behind. A police officer screamed, reaching for his radio. "The commander has reported an explosion in sector three.". Possible sabotage.”. A voice crackled through. “Understood. Any survivors?”. No water was present, as the officer grimaced in response to being told. He exhaled deeply. ‘Someone’s covering their tracks, you know. Juniper's pulse hammered. Run. Adrian had warned her. He knew something. Now, there was an attempt to make him stop talking and keep it quiet. She spun back toward him. Paramedics were enclosing him in the cabin, attaching it to IVs, and taking off his sweaty shirt to access the wound. A medic barked orders. Then Juniper pushed forward. "Where's the guy?". One of them spoke with a firm voice, saying "Mainland hospital" and that the patient requires surgery. Juniper's gut twisted. Something wasn't right. Her gaze widened to the officers situated near the control arm. They weren't watching the flames. They were watching her. Her breath caught. The officer who was closest to the radio reached for his holster—quickly, controlled, and cautious. There was a powerful voice that whispered. “Secure the girl. Everything is lost if Blackwood wakes up. ". Juniper's blood ran cold. Her body was devoid of any nerves. The officers were not assigned to safeguard her.. Their task was to prevent Adrian from opening his eyes again. And her? She was a loose end. Her throat went dry. The officers slowly started to change their ways. The entrance to the lower deck was approached by two individuals. Another person shifted their position, standing in the gap between her and the emergency raft. They were closing in. Juniper swallowed hard. Think. Fast. She couldn't fight them all. She needed a distraction. Her eyes flicked between objects—life vests, storage crates, an unopened tool kit that was attached to the boat's side. Then—the fire extinguisher. Her heartbeat pounded. She moved. Fast. Using the extinguisher, she tugged on the pin and spun it. The nearest police officer was hit by a ball of white foam. He shouted, stumbling back. Chaos erupted. Juniper didn't hesitate. She bolted. “Stop her!”. She dashed across the deck, rain covering her face, and her shoes slipping against the slippery metal. Heavy footsteps pounded behind her. One officer lunged. She slipped, twisting beyond her grasp.__ He slayed his fingers into her jacket but missed.' Another reached for her—. Then Juniper thumped, her elbow curving into his ribs. A grunt. A curse. She yanked free, heart racing. The emergency raft. Five feet away. Gunfire cracked. Juniper flinched. Her feet were on the deck when the bullet struck them, causing sparks to be drawn into the metal. Adrenaline surged through her veins. She leaped—. Despite this, she had arms around her waist and was pulled towards the back. “No!” She thrashed, kicking wildly. Her mouth was held down by a hand. "At last," she was told by a voice in her ear. Panic flared. She bit down. Hard. The policeman screamed, gripping on his. Then Juniper twisted and slammed her knee into his stomach. He screamed in a choke. She pushed him away, directly into the path of another officer who was moving towards her. They collided. That was her opening. She turned, sprinting full speed—. Gunfire roared again. Her ear was struck by the bullet. What happened next? Too close. Too damn close. Juniper didn't stop. Didn't think. She ascended the railing and launched herself. The ocean swallowed her whole. Cold. Due to the cold, her lung lungs were hit with such force that it felt like hitting something. The current dragged her down. Her nose and throat were filled with saltwater.? She kicked. Fought. Surged to the surface, gasping. Shouts echoed above her from the boat. “She's in the water!”. Lightbulbs were cast across the waves. After taking a deep breath, Juniper dived again with gusto. Darkness closed around her. The current yanked her farther. She let it. Leave her vulnerable and vulnerable in the face of darkness as the storm draws near. Her lungs burned. She came out only when she had to.' The police boat was now in a remote location.' Searchlight swept too far right. They hadn't spotted her yet. But they would. Juniper turned and sprinted through the waves.'". Something loomed in the distance. A boat. Not theirs. Smaller. Unmarked. She was unaware of its owner.. It was the only opportunity she had. A person leaned forward.' Her hands were directed towards her. A powerful cry permeated the storm. “Hurry,” the man said. His tone was urgent. Low. Rough. They’re going to kill you if they find.”.
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Juniper's blood ran cold. She felt a sharp, shivering sensation in her spine as the words were heard over the police radio. Secure the girl. Everything is lost if Blackwood wakes up. She wasn't deceived by the officer in front of her, as he kept his face blank for the most part. He knew. She was a loose end. Her heart raced against her ribs, each time she beat out a warning drum. Think, Juniper. Think. She directed attention to the helicopter, where Adrian lay strapped to a stretcher, unconscious and helplessly vulnerable. The paramedics were arranging the medical supplies, getting ready to depart. She was not going to be left alone if they did. She had seconds to act. The officer's stance shifted. His hands came dangerously close to the sight of his gun. Miss Hale was a smooth voice. Too smooth. “Come with us.”. No. Every nerve screamed run. They might shoot her before she could take two steps if she fled at this time. She wore a wobbly smile, masking the shaking in her
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While Juniper was listening to the helicopter blades whirring in her ears, she could only detect Adrian's breathing. Too late. His words were tinged into her chest as though they had been lifted off her. She whispered, "No, not yet. It's not too late.". Stay with me.”. She grasped his hand, her fingers wrapped around his scaly skin, as if her touch could provide him with stability. Adrian's eyelids flickered. There was a slight growling sound emanating from his lips. "They... can't find it.". Juniper's heart pounded. Find what? With her tongue pressed against the dryness of her throat, she crouched down. "What's up there?". Adrian exhaled shakily. “The files. The proof.”. Her fingers tightened around his. Files? Proof? Her mind was consumed by a warning. This was no longer solely a matter of survival. This was bigger. Dangerous. Deadly. Maintaining her voice required constant effort. "Where is Adrian located?". His hold grew increasingly firm, almost as if he was gathering
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A Sky Full of Fire. “Brace!”. Juniper barely had time to react before the world turned into chaos. The first spray of bullets tore through the helicopter's cabin, slicing through seats, ricocheting off metal, and punching holes into the walls. The medic let out a bloodcurdling scream, ducking just in time as a bullet whizzed past his ear. The pilot yelled frantically into his headset. “Mayday! Mayday! Flight 417 under attack! We need immediate—”. The radio cut off in static. Juniper clung to Adrian's stretcher, her nails digging into the fabric as the helicopter veered sideways. Her stomach lurched with the movement. The tail caught fire, flames licking hungrily across the metal. A missile streaked through the air, missing them by inches. The force of the blast sent the helicopter spinning violently. Juniper screamed, her body slamming against the wall. The medic was flung backward, crashing hard against the opposite side. “We're going down!” the pilot shouted. The airc
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“I’ll make this simple.”Damien tapped the tablet screen, his voice smooth, unbothered.“Give me the location of the files,” he said. “Or watch him die.”Juniper’s jaw clenched. Her heart hammered, but her face? Blank. No reaction. No weakness.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. Steady. Flat. Unshaken.Damien sighed. Bored.“Wrong answer.”He lifted a finger.On the tablet’s screen, the man in black moved.A fist drove into Adrian’s ribs.The sound was sickening.Adrian’s body jerked.A choked cough tore from his throat.Blood splattered his shirt.Juniper’s stomach twisted.“Stop it!” she snapped.Damien tilted his head. “Then talk.”Juniper’s mind raced. Think, Juniper. Stall.She took a shaky breath. “I want proof.”Damien arched a brow. “You have proof.”“Not good enough.” Her voice hardened. “Bring him here. Let me see he’s alive.”A beat of silence.Then—Damien laughed.“You’re in no position to negotiate,” he said.Juniper lifted her chin.“Then kill me.”A fli
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