The Daughter Extraction

Keep moving on

•LUNA•

"Shh," he hushed me, eyes fixed on the ground, ears alert.

I quickly surveyed our surroundings, trying to figure out what had grabbed his attention. We'd been walking for a good two hours, in the middle of nowhere, and not a living thing in sight.

"Get down." He abruptly pulled me, making us both kneel on the ground.

I shot him a look for being a bit rough with his hands. Sure, I relied on him for safety, but I wasn't thrilled about being manhandled like some object.

My heart raced as the distant hum of a car engine reached us. My first instinct was that it had to be the arranged ride to safety, but my hopes crashed when police sirens joined the mix.

Alec grabbed my hand, leading me towards the nearby trees. We hiked up a small steep hill in front of the trees and crouched behind a dead tree log on the ground.

In front of us, a clear highway stretched out, and just a few feet away, a black SUV was parked on the roadside, flanked by two police vehicles.

Two men stood outside the black SUV, hands raised, while three Mexican cops questioned them.

"Those guys were supposed to help us?" I whispered to Alec.

"Mm-hmm," he hummed in response.

I refocused on the scene unfolding before us. It was evident they were cornered, and so were we. Without their assistance, getting out of these woods alive seemed impossible.

Suddenly, one of the cops walked back to a police car, grabbed his radio, and started speaking. We couldn't catch the words, but it couldn't be good, judging by the cop's glances at the two detained men.

"Hazlo!" the cop with the radio shouted at the other two.

It all went down in a flash. The other two cops whipped out their guns and shot the two guys right in the head. I let out a loud gasp, totally caught off guard, and ended up tumbling backward onto my hands.

A bunch of twigs snapped under my weight, and the cops immediately perked up, homing in on the noise. I shot a panicked look at Alec, and he shot one right back at me.

"Alguien esta aqui."one of them muttered.

Alec wasted zero time. He yanked me up by the arm and shoved me down the slope. We slid on our butts, getting scratched up by sharp sticks and rocks.

I was on the verge of screaming when bullets zipped over our heads, smacking into trees we passed. Fear and anxiety clutched my heart, but I made myself keep running, refusing to glance back.

Then, out of nowhere, Alec stopped running, pulling me back with him. I lost my breath just as he yanked me behind a tree, his hand over my mouth.

My eyes widened in surprise, and my heart raced, partly because of the chaos following us, and partly because of Alec's close proximity messing with my head.

The air went still, and suddenly, it was dead quiet. Not even the usual sounds of nature could be heard. That eerie silence was the worst part.

It's too quiet.

Alec kept shooting quick glances through the trees, eyes on high alert and jaw clenched tight. It was my first time seeing him up close, and it sent a wave of heat through me.

My focus shifted to the side of his neck, where a peek of ink sneaked out from beneath his T-shirt collar.

He's probably not the type to talk about his life story, but there's something about him that keeps people intrigued. Kind of like his tattoo.

It drops just a hint about himself, leaving people hungry for more, and wondering where it might lead.

Reality hit hard as his hand over my mouth tightened. Alec briefly looked down at me before zeroing in on something behind us.

Or someone...

His eyes shot me a warning to keep quiet as he slowly released his grip. Then, he darted away, finding cover behind a nearby tree.

I pressed against the tree trunk, praying to go unnoticed as footsteps approached. Hands tightly clasped, I shut my eyes, hoping the footsteps wouldn't get any closer.

Please, please, please... don't come any closer...

A deafening gunshot echoed through the air, and a warm spray hit the side of my face. I held my breath involuntarily, reopening my eyes after a moment.

My gaze fell straight down to the ground where one of the cops lay on his stomach, eyes wide open, blood oozing from the side of his head where the bullet had struck.

Blood... there's so much blood

Raising my hand, I cautiously touched the side of my face. When I withdrew it, my fingers were smeared with blood.

Heart palpitations kicked in as I turned slowly to face Alec. He stared back at me, his eyes devoid of emotion—a complete blank stare.

Glancing at the lifeless cop again, I couldn't tear my eyes away. It was my first time witnessing someone shot dead right in front of me, and the scene turned my stomach.

After a full minute, I couldn't hold it in any longer; I vomited on the side. My stomach churned painfully, and my throat stung from the gagging. I coughed and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand before sinking to the ground.

I couldn't help but glance at the dead cop once more.  He lay there lifeless, right in front of me. Luckily, I hadn't witnessed it all, or I might have blacked out from the shock.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over me. I tore my gaze away from the body and looked up at Alec, standing before me. His eyes held sympathy as he reached out his hand slowly for me to take.

It was overwhelming, but my life was on the line. I understood that whatever unfolded had a reason, all part of the plan to keep me safe and get me home.

I cautiously slipped my hand into his and rose from the ground. Sniffing back tears, I gave him a small nod, signaling that I was ready to move on.