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The deafening roar of the helicopter blades drowned out Morgan's frantic heartbeat as she crouched low behind a boulder, her eyes locked on Greg and Sarah. The voice from the chopper crackled through the air, announcing Greg's imminent capture. "You're surrounded! There's nowhere to run!"
Morgan watched as Greg's gaze snapped upward, momentarily distracted by the sudden intrusion. She seized the opportunity to examine the scene before her. With a sickening realization, she saw the weight tied to Sarah's ankle - he was ready to send her plummeting into the water below.
"Stay back!" Greg shouted, his voice cracking under the strain. "I'll do it!"
"Greg," Morgan whispered to herself, her mind racing as she tried to formulate a plan to save Sarah. She couldn't let this man take another life. But how could she reach Sarah without risking them both?
"Let her go!" the voice from the helicopter continued. "This doesn't have to end like this!"
"Like hell it doesn't!" Greg screamed, his eyes blazing with madness. "This is the only way!"
"Think about what you're doing, Greg," Morgan murmured under her breath, inching closer to the pair. Her fingers tightened around her gun, knuckles turning white. "There has to be a better way."
"Shut up! All of you, just shut up!" Greg yelled, his free hand clenching into a fist. "You don't know anything about me or what I've been through!"
"Actually, I think I do," Morgan thought, trying to tap into the empathy that had once guided her actions as an agent. She knew pain, loss, and fear intimately - but she also knew that they didn't have to define a person forever.
"Enough!" Greg roared, his grip on Sarah's wrist tightening to the point where it looked like he might break her bones. "I'm done playing games!"
"Please!" Sarah whimpered, tears streaming down her face. "I don't want to die!"
"Neither do I," Morgan thought, her heart aching for the young woman who had been caught up in this nightmare. She couldn't stand by any longer - she had to act.
"Greg, listen to me!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos as she stepped out from her hiding place. She had one chance to save Sarah's life, and she wouldn't let it slip away.
Morgan's heart pounded in her chest, the wind whipping her hair around her face as she tried to focus on the scene unfolding before her. Her thoughts were a whirlwind of desperation and determination, but she knew she had to maintain control. She quickly raised her hand to the radio clipped to her shoulder.
"Chopper One, stand down," she ordered, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. "I can handle this."
"Are you crazy, Cross?" came the incredulous response from the officer in the chopper. "He's got a hostage!"
"Trust me," Morgan said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. She slowly approached the edge of the cliff, holding her hands up to show she was unarmed. Sarah's screams rang in her ears, igniting a fire within her that burned away any doubt or fear.
She couldn't let another innocent life be lost.
Steeling her resolve, she prepared to make a move.
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
"Greg!" Morgan called out, her voice carrying over the howling wind. "Look at me!"
Greg's wild, crazed eyes found Morgan, and for a moment, time seemed to slow down. The pure hatred and madness in his gaze sent a shiver down her spine, but she forced herself to hold his stare, refusing to back down.
"Let her go," Morgan demanded, hoping to appeal to whatever shred of humanity might still exist within him. "You don't have to do this."
"Stay back!" Greg snarled, tightening his grip on Sarah's arm. "Or I'll throw her off right now!"
Morgan's mind raced, searching for a way to save Sarah without putting her in further danger. She needed to keep Greg talking, to give her an opening to act. Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to remain calm as she continued to inch closer.
"Talk to me, Greg," she said softly, trying to make a connection with him. "Tell me what's going on inside your head."
"Stay out of my head!" Greg screamed, his voice cracking with the strain of his emotions. "You don't know anything about me!"
Morgan knew she was walking a thin line between saving Sarah and pushing Greg over the edge. But with each step she took closer to them, she felt more certain that this was a risk she had to take. Inside her chest, her heart pounded furiously, but she refused to let fear control her. She had come too far to give up now.
"Greg, listen to me," Morgan called out, her voice steady despite the pounding of her heart. "You're surrounded. There's nowhere for you to go. Let Sarah go, and we can work this out."
The wildness in Greg's eyes seemed to flicker for a moment, as if considering the possibility. Morgan could see the sweat on his brow, glistening beneath the fading light. Desperation clung to him like a second skin.
