Chapter 10
"Hold on!" Sterling shouted, spinning the steering wheel frantically to regain control of the sliding vehicle.
The utility van slammed side-first against a steel guardrail, sending showers of bright orange sparks into the night.
The armored truck rammed them a second time, forcing the van off the road toward a steep wooded ravine.
Trees splintered and crushed under the weight of the van as it rolled twice down the rocky embankment.
The vehicle came to a bone-shattering halt upside down against a massive oak tree at the bottom of the ravine.
Silence descended upon the wrecked cabin, save for the hiss of steam rising from the crushed radiator.
Chloe groaned in agony, trapped upside down in her seatbelt, blood trickling down her forehead into her eyes.
Beside her, General Sterling lay motionless, his head slumped against the shattered steering wheel.
"General..." Chloe whimpered softly, reaching out a trembling hand to touch his shoulder.
He didn't move or respond, his breathing shallow and dangerously irregular under his crushed chest.
May you like
Above them on the highway shoulder, heavy vehicle doors slammed shut in the pouring rain.
Flashlight beams began cutting through the dark woods, descending the steep ravine toward the wreckage.
