The chopper slowly comes in, and as soon as they pass where they can see me, I walk forward and lean my rifle on the handrail to look through the glass eyepiece.
I rearrange my finger on the trigger and I wait. I have gone over every possible scenario in my head a million times, and I honestly believe this is the only way I stand a chance to catch them unaware. If I wait, I risk Stace trying to take him out first and then it may be too late. This is the only way I can guarantee Stace’s safety.
Ten years of practice in a shooting range and it all comes down to this.
If I miss, I’m dead.
If I hit, I’m also dead.
But Stace will be alive, and he will know that I love him.
My eyes cloud over and I shake my head to remove the fog.
Focus.
I stare through the lens and I count three men in the chopper. The pilot, a guard and then him.
I take aim and watch as the pilot goes through the shut down technique.
“Just get out of the chopper,” I whisper.
I tighten my grip on the trigger as my heart hammers heavily in my chest.
“Kill or be killed,” I breathe.
Stace approaches the chopper and then opens the door and I narrow my eyes as I steel myself.
Holy… fucking shit.
The guard gets out and shakes Stace’s hand, and I follow his head with the gun. I go back to the chopper and follow the next head. Wearing a dark, clearly expensive suit, he slowly gets out and shakes Stace’s hand.
I narrow my eyes. “Just a little to the left,” I whisper as my hand shakes nervously. He moves over a little. “That’s it.” He moves to the left and I take aim and pull the trigger. I miss and confusion sets in. The men all start to run.
Fuck.
I take aim again and with my heartbeat furiously pumping, I pull the trigger, and this time, the man in the suit falls to the deck.
I take aim at the guard and shoot him in the thigh. He also crumples in a heap.
I did it.
With adrenaline pumping hard, I sprint down the metal stairs.
The alarms start to sound and I know everyone is watching. With my gun in my hands I run across the deck toward them.
Stace looks up at me in horror.
“Rosh!” he screams. “No!”
The pilot grabs a handgun and I lift my rifle and shoot him in the leg.
“Get in the chopper!” I scream.
“What?” Stace yells.
“Get in the fucking chopper!” I scream over the sirens.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he yells.
“Saving your life.” I point to the chopper with my gun. “Get in.”
I look down and frown. What the hell? I kick over the man in the suit so I can see his face and I step back as horror dawns.
Oh my God!
Oh my fucking God!
With renewed panic, I point the gun at Stace. “Don’t make me fucking kill you, too, asshole. Get in!”
“No!” He screams. “What the fuck are you doing?”
The sirens are screaming over us and I know I have minutes before backup is here.
I shoot the ground only inches from Stace’s feet. “I swear to God, get the fuck in.”
He shakes his head and climbs into the chopper and I climb in after him.
“Take us up.”
He frowns. “What?” he screams.
“Fucking go. We are about one minute away from being killed.”
He scratches his head in a panic and starts the chopper, and I slam the door behind me. We shakily lift off just as two of the crew appear on the deck with guns.
We lift higher and higher and higher, and I hear bullets zoom past us.
He takes off and we fly into the clear air and I put my head in my hands and screw up my face in panic.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he screams over the engine.
I pant. “I’m saving your life, asshole.” I run my hands through my hair. “You are most welcome, by the way.”
He shakes his head and drags his hand down his face.
“That wasn’t Vikinos you killed,” he screams.
“I know!” I yell back in frustration. Oh my God, how could I be so stupid?
He frowns as his eyes flick over to me. “How do you know that? Who are you?”
I look him square in the eye.
“My name is Roshina Vikinos. I’m his daughter.”
Stace
My eyes widen before they flicker to her, and then back to the sky, then back to her, and then back to the sky, again and again.
“You are fucking who?” I scream over the engine.
“You heard me,” she yells.
I shake my head in disbelief. “His… his… his daughter?” I stammer. “You are Vikinos’ daughter?”
She nods.
“I don’t believe it,” I cry as we fly higher and higher.
“Y-you think I can?” she stammers.
Realisation sets in and I put my head into my hands. The chopper dips a little.
“Stace?” she yells.
I grab the control lever and lift the chopper back up.
My eyes flick over to her angrily. “So you set us up. This whole thing was a set up to get to him.”
“What?” she yells. “You took me, you idiot! How could I have set this up?”
“You really expect me to believe that this is a coincidence.” I shake my head. “I’m not that stupid.” I sneer.
“Apparently, you are,” she fires back.
I glare at her, and then we both turn to stare at the sky in front of us. The engine is loud and drowns out all other noise.
She turns and looks over our shoulder at the disappearing ship in the distance. They would be calling for backup right now.
“What would possess you to shoot three people in front of everyone?” I fume.
She shrugs. “I thought it was him. I thought I was going to just knock him off before there could be time for it to go wrong. I’m not giving him the chance to kill you.”
“It wasn’t him,” I snap.
“I know!” she yells in frustration. “It was my uncle.”
My face falls in horror as my eyes flicker to her again. “You shot his brother?”
“Like he tortured yours. Stop acting all fucking innocent. It was kill or be killed and that guy I shot is just as evil as my father. I have no remorse. None!”
Good point.
I stay silent and turn to look over my shoulder at where we came from.
The sound of the chopper blades rings loud through the cabin.
“You said you were going to kill him. You said you thought you were going to die. I couldn’t let that happen!” she yells over the engine.
“At least you would have been safe!” I bark angrily.
“Who are you kidding? I will never be safe as long as he is alive.”
I run my hand through my hair in frustration as my brain begins to go wild.
“What now?” she asks.
I don’t answer. I just keep my eyes on the sky.
“What are we going to do, Stace?” she yells in a panic.
“Shut the fuck up and let me think!” I yell back.