AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Freeze, don’t move!” someone shouts, pointing the lights into my eyes. “We found them.”
“Sir, the threat is neutralized. The mission’s complete,” one of them says.
“Who are you, miss?” The other points the light into my face.
But all I can do is gape at him.
“She is in shock. Check the bodies.”
Lester’s lifeless eyes look into nothingness when they turn him around. A sob pours out of my chest as I inch to the other motionless body, afraid to find his whiskey eyes devoid of life too.
“Guns down,” an authoritative voice booms, halting me as the new team arrives.
But when the male in military getup moves closer to me, I freeze. He lifts his night-vision goggles, and I recognize the face.
“Lucas . . . Mark . . .” I choke, and he pulls out a knife to cut my restraints, then helps me to turn him around.
“We need light,” Lucas shouts.
His whole face and the angry, bloody welts on his upper body are covered in dust and grime. Then Lucas gently presses his fingers to find a pulse. I don’t dare to breathe.
“He’s alive. A gun wound grazed his shoulder, and he has a concussion.”
Relief floods me.
Lucas pulls out something from his pocket and presses it to his head wound.
“Mark, buddy, can you hear me? We need medics!”
He blinks, coughing, and my heart restarts beating again.
“Alive,” he rasps, from the dust. His voice grates in his throat like sandpaper. “You made it.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t planning to miss it,” Lucas grouses and they both grin like maniacs.
But when he looks at me, everything rushes back in. The terror. Love. Relief.
I attack Mark’s chapped lips covered in grime like my life depends on it, like my heart needs to revive his. I weep into his mouth, relieved it’s over and happy we’re saved from this nightmare.
“I love you, Mark, more than you know.” And then I pull on Lucas’ gear as wails of gratitude rip from my bleeding lips.
He came to save us when everyone else left us.
33
Tricks of Light
~Cassandra~
When the military chopper lifts us off the ground, I take in the destruction and chaos this mission caused. People, whether they’re hired to help or brought to this resort like us, are evacuating with boats.
“No one will be left behind on this godforsaken island,” Lucas speaks into the headphones.
“Good,” I say, happy that victims will be returned home and criminals will get what they deserve.
Although tears dried on my face, my heart still bleeds from the resounding terror this place inflicted on me. They patched Mark’s wounds as soon as we crawled out of the destroyed mansion and now we’re safe and sound.
Mark’s coarse lips brush my temples while my back is pressed against his chiseled chest counting his steady heartbeats. We are safe and alive. I keep reminding myself as I wrap the blanket tightly around myself, watching us gravitate away from the land.
