Page 91 of Her Final Hours
Noah’s patience wore thin as Frank toyed with his emotions. “Send her over,” he repeated firmly.
“Answer a question. How did you find the money?” he asked.
“This was not the deal.”
“I gave you clear guidelines not to contact anyone.”
“Frank. Take the money and leave while you can.”
“Sounds like a threat.”
Frank’s grip tightened on a portion of Mia’s hair, causing her to whimper in pain. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she shivered uncontrollably in the cold. Frank released his grip, giving her a slight push, urging her to bridge the gap between him and Noah. Every step Mia took toward Noah felt agonizingly slow, prolonging his torment.
Seeing his daughter in distress fueled Noah’s determination to end this nightmare. His muscles tensed; his hands clenched into fists as he fought back a surge of emotions.
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Time seemed to slow as Alicia focused her gaze through the scope, her finger gently applying pressure to the trigger. The situation bore down on her, knowing that her shot could alter the course of events instantly.
There was a chance the rifleman on the lookout was simply there to ensure the deal went smoothly, but what if he wasn’t? Noah had told her that no other police would be on the scene. It wasn’t SWAT. They would have been in uniform. No, this man looked like a hunter, clad in typical wilderness hunting gear. She couldn’t take the chance, yet how many others could be out there with Noah in their crosshair?
Alicia took one last look at the exchange on the ice. Mia was halfway between. Two rounds. She could do it — one to the rifleman, the other to Frank.
She adjusted her aim, compensating for the distance and the swirling winds that whipped around the lookout tower. The crosshair settled on the rifleman’s head, the man who posed a threat not only to Noah but to the entire exchange. She took a deep breath, steadying her aim, her finger hovering over the trigger.
Alicia’s mind blocked out the storm’s howling fury in that frozen moment, focusing solely on her target. She visualized the bullet’s trajectory, imagining its path as it pierced the air and found its mark. With unwavering resolve, she squeezed the trigger.
The rifle cracked, the sound muffled by the raging storm. The round found its intended target, and in a devastating instant, the rifleman’s head disintegrated into a cloud of crimson mist. The threat was eliminated, but the gunshot echo reverberated, revealing Alicia’s position.
She quickly shifted her attention back to the ice. Frank’s gaze shot toward the lookout tower, confirming her suspicion, his eyes widening in shock and realization. Panic and confusion swept through the scene, giving Noah a moment of distraction.
Without hesitation, Alicia prepared to take her second shot, this time aimed at Frank. She tracked his movements, her finger finding the trigger once again. But before she could take the shot, a sudden explosion of activity disrupted her line of sight.
Mia, sensing the chaos, reacted with her survival instinct. She darted forward, breaking into a desperate, slippery sprint toward her father, not much more than a small figure against the snowy backdrop. The exchange had been interrupted, and the carefully calculated plan was unraveling before their eyes.
Alicia’s heart pounded as she watched Mia’s daring escape, torn between her duty to protect Noah and the urgent need to eliminate the remaining threat. She cursed under her breath, realizing that taking out the sniper had now put Mia’s life in even greater jeopardy.
The roundfrom Alicia’s gun reverberated through the air. Its thunderous echo resembled the crack of an avalanche. Noah’sheart sank as he realized what had transpired, knowing that Alicia had taken a shot to protect him. It wasn’t what he had wanted, but circumstances had left him no choice but to watch the events unfold.
Amidst the chaos, Mia ran towards Noah with desperation across her face. As she closed the distance, Noah reached back, swiftly drawing his Glock from his waistband. His fingers tightened around the grip, his aim zeroing in on Frank, who was attempting to go for the money.
Multiple gunshots cracked loudly, merging into a symphony of chaos. Shots from Noah, Frank, and Alicia filled the air, creating a disorienting mix. In the barrage, Noah felt a painful jolt through his body as a round struck him, causing him to land hard on the unforgiving ice.
Undeterred by the onslaught of bullets, Frank seized the bags of money before him and tried to escape. However, more gunshots rang out, one finding its mark and striking Frank’s leg, causing him to buckle and collapse onto the ice. The bags slid ahead of him, leaving a trail of wealth in their wake.
As rounds continued to pierce the ice around him, Noah grappled with the excruciating pain in his wounded body. He mustered every ounce of strength, clambering to his feet and staggering forward, determination unwavering.
The ground trembled beneath him as fissures on the ice spread, threatening to swallow them whole. The situation grew more dangerous with each passing second, the howling wind mocking their struggle to survive.
“Mia! Go. Get to the lodge.”
Mia, her eyes filled with worry, nodded in understanding. She knew there was no time for an argument or hesitation. Pushing past her fear, she sprinted away, her figure fading into the veil of falling snow as she raced toward safety.
Noah fought to regain his footing, his body aching and hismovements hampered by the pain. Frank fired a few desperate rounds in his direction, but they missed their mark as Noah staggered forward. Another piercing round from Noah’s Glock erupted, striking Frank’s arm and causing his grip on the shotgun to loosen. A satisfying cry of pain escaped his lips as he crashed onto the ice again, his knees colliding harshly with the unforgiving surface.
A storm of bullets surrounded Frank. The gunfire, now coming from Alicia’s direction, shattered the ice around him, sending shards flying in all directions. Blood trailed in Frank’s wake as he desperately clawed at the ice, his hands futilely grasping for stability. Noah joined the assault on the ice as if his thoughts merged with Alicia’s.
Despite Frank’s efforts, the deteriorating ice betrayed him, giving way beneath his weight and swallowing him into the frigid darkness below, along with the money.
