Page 90 of Her Final Hours
Noah peered into the dismal weather, his vision obscured by the storm. Unable to see clearly, he stepped out of his vehicle, cupping a hand around his ear, still holding the phone. In a voice filled with malice and enjoyment, Frank taunted him. “Come on out, Noah. It’s beautiful here. She’s beautiful.”
The line went dead, and a gust of wind picked up, whipping snowflakes into a frenzy. The conditions had deteriorated further, reducing visibility to nearly nothing around the center.Even if Alicia could see, the odds were against her of making the shot.
Determined, Noah checked the gun tucked in the back of his waistband, ensuring it was ready for action. He opened the trunk and hauled out the two heavy duffel bags, each one burdened with the weight of his hopes and fears. He trudged forward, the storm mercilessly battering him as he pressed toward the lake’s edge. The wind howled, biting at his exposed skin, while snowflakes stung his face like icy needles. Every step was a battle against the elements, his boots sinking into the deep snow with each stride.
Curious eyes watched Noah’s determined march toward the frozen lake. Whispers of concern filled the air as the guests caught a glimpse of the tense moment.
Finally, Noah arrived at the lake’s edge, his breath visible in the frigid air. He dropped the heavy bags onto the ground, his gaze fixed on the scene before him. Roughly sixty yards away, he could make out Mia, his precious daughter, standing beside Frank.
Frank held a sawed-off shotgun, pressed against her head, a chilling reminder of imminent danger. Rage and fear welled within Noah, threatening to consume him, but he held them at bay, focused on the task ahead.
Minutes earlier,Alicia had positioned herself on a rocky bluff, carefully blending her white camouflage attire into the surroundings. She lay prone in the snow, her face the only visible part of her as she peered through the scope of her high-powered hunting rifle. The biting wind whipped around her, threatening to reveal her presence, but she remained focused.
As she scanned the area, her trained eyes searching forFrank, Alicia observed nothing but swirling snowflakes and a desolate landscape. While it was no longer a whiteout, it was still hard to see. She had grown accustomed to the stillness, to the patience required in moments like these from her work of pursuing poachers. But just as she finished communicating with Noah, a crackle erupted through her earpiece, and the line went dead. The encroaching storm had taken its toll on the communication system, leaving her isolated and Noah exposed.
Frantically, Alicia adjusted the settings on her earpiece, desperately trying to regain contact. But the static persisted, frustrating her attempts to relay vital information. She knew time was running out.
Frustration turned to alarm as she noticed Noah’s gaze fixed on something at the lake’s edge. Following his line of sight, she adjusted the scope, her heart pounding in her chest. There, she saw Frank, his shotgun held menacingly against Mia’s head.
But then, a glint of light caught her attention just north of the lake. Her instincts kicked in, and she shifted the scope towards it, revealing a figure concealed within a lookout tower. Another rifleman poised to strike.
His barrel pointed toward Noah.
Panic surged through her at the gravity of the situation. She desperately attempted to warn him, her voice crackling through the damaged communication network. “Noah! Noah! It’s a trap. He’s going to…” Her words trailed off into static, frustration and fear enveloping her. She glanced back at Frank, the threat he posed to Mia looming large in her mind. The weight of Noah’s words hung heavy — waiting for the exchange might cost them everything. Yet, the glimmer of the rifleman in the lookout tower reminded her of the actual risk.
A wave of helplessness washed over her as she contemplated her predicament. She knew that taking out the sniper would jeopardize Mia’s life, exposing her position and potentiallysealing their fate. The seconds ticked away, each filled with a mounting sense of urgency.
Caught between the fear of inaction and the fear of consequence, Alicia wrestled with her options. The storm raged around her. She needed a solution to outmaneuver the trap and save them both.
As the adrenaline surged through her veins, her training kicked in. She assessed the terrain, the positions of the adversaries, and the limited resources at her disposal. Determined, she formulated a plan that required patience, precision, and calculated risk.
Alicia steadied herself. She would bide her time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike while keeping a vigilant eye on Noah and the sniper in the lookout tower.
At the frozen lake,Noah’s heart hammered as he called out to Frank, his voice strained. “It’s all here,” he said, crouching down and unzipping the bags to reveal the stacks of money. Frank’s lips curled into a sinister smile, his eyes gleaming with twisted amusement.
“This must bring back fond memories, huh, Noah?” Frank taunted, his voice laced with sadistic pleasure. “Though it looked different back then, what with summer and all. Though I expect it felt just as cold for you, right?”
Ignoring Frank’s jibes, Noah kept his focus on Mia. He looked at her, his eyes scanning for wounds. “Mia. Did he harm you?” he asked, his voice wavering.
“Oh, Noah, what do you take me for — an animal?” Frank replied, his tone dripping with mock innocence. He reached out, running a hand through Mia’s hair before him, savoring the moment. “I wouldn’t harm her, Noah. Savor? Yes. Harm? No. Youhave mistaken me for the others. Oh, the things they wanted to do with a cop’s daughter.”
Noah’s hand balled, fury rising. He took a step backward. “Send her over,” he demanded, rage coming through.
“Not until I get my money first,” Frank retorted arrogantly. Noah took another step back. He knew that one wrong move could shatter everything. “Bring it out,” Frank said.
With a deep breath, Noah complied, lifting the bags and slowly making his way forward. Each step on the ice sent a shiver of apprehension down his spine as the cracking beneath his feet threatened to betray him. Frank’s voice boomed about twenty yards away, commanding him to stop.
“That’s far enough! Slide the bags across the ice,” he ordered. Noah didn’t hesitate for a second. He gave each bag a firm toss as if releasing two curling stones, watching them slide across the ice, propelled by desperation. The bags came to a stop about five yards from Frank.
“All right. Good. Now go back another ten yards,” Frank commanded, his voice smug with a false sense of power. Noah followed the instructions, retreating, his heart pounding.
Frank began making his way over, his steps measured and calculated. “Be a good pet, go and unzip the bags so I can see,” he ordered. Mia obediently took a few steps, reached down, and did as she was told, her hands trembling. “Give me one from deep in the bag. Not the top ones.” Frank’s fingers riffled through the money, his eyes scanning each bill.
“Can’t be too careful,” Frank remarked, paranoia coming through. “A lot of counterfeit money going around,” he added. The tension hung heavy as Noah fought to keep his composure.
“Now send her over, Frank,” he pleaded. He couldn’t bear to see his daughter in the clutches of that monster any longer.
But Frank seemed intent on dragging out the torment. “You know, a girl her age could collect a tidy sum,” Frank mused, hisvoice filled with perverse satisfaction. “You’d be surprised the types of people in this world that would pay good money for time with a daughter like yours.”
