The Daughter Extraction

Caught in the Crossfire

•LUNA•
 

Fear was an understatement. All my life, I've never thought a day would come where I would find myself in this situation, running for safety in a direction that holds no promises.
 
My hands wouldn't stop shaking around the wheel, but I kept my composure and reassured myself that I was almost there.
 
But every passing turn was like dodging a bullet. I've been driving for miles, and I couldn't see anything or anyone that resembled safety.
 
For all I know, I am lost in the middle of nowhere.
 
I swerved the car to the left and saw a bridge up ahead. To my surprise, there were a few cars parked at the other end with people standing around. 
 
My heart dropped when I also saw the police vehicles forming a barrier upfront. The cops were braced behind the vehicles with their guns out and ready. They were all aiming for me.
 
I started to slow down as soon as I realized what was happening. My heart started to pound against my chest as I released the wheel.
 
It was one against many.
 
Tears streamed down my face as I looked at the cops waiting in front of me. There was nowhere else I could run, and if I turned the car around, I was afraid that this was going to be the end of me.
 
"Step out of the vehicle slowly! With your hands in the air!" A loud voice commanded through a speaker.
 
I slowly started to cry as I reached for my seatbelt and released it. With both hands raised, I finally unlocked the door and stepped out, my teary eyes trying to focus on the cops up ahead.
 
Where are you, Alec? 
 
Dammit, where are you?
 
"Slowly take a step forward!" The male's voice commanded again, and I did what he asked.
 
I looked down at the ground and started sobbing, the gravity of the situation weighing down on me. Every sound I could hear suddenly faded into the background as I slowly started to accept my fate.
 
But the moment shattered when a familiar voice pierced through the air. My head immediately snapped up, and I saw a familiar face breaking through the police barricade on the other end of the bridge.
 
"Luna!" Uncle Danny shouted once again, and a breath of relief suddenly escaped me.
 
He started running towards me, and I started breaking down into tears when I did the same and met him halfway on the bridge.
 
He threw his arms around me and held onto me tight. I couldn't stop crying as I embraced him back; my emotions were a mixture of relief and happiness.
 
"I got you, kid. You're safe, alright?" He whispered reassuringly in my ear while stroking my hair. 
 
I hugged him tighter, and he slowly pulled away and wiped the tears off my face while smiling at me.
 
"It's okay. You're going to be alright. You're safe now, Luna." 
 
His words filled my heart with warmth, and I couldn't help but hug him again. I have never been so relieved to see someone familiar from home again. 
 
A few car engines sounded from the back, and just like that, the moment of peace shattered like glass as the tension pierced through the atmosphere.
 
Danny immediately reacted by pushing me behind him and pulling out his gun, aiming at the cars that pulled up behind the one that I had brought here.
 
The rest of the cops did the same as they waited to take action. But the minute I saw the person who stepped out of the vehicle, a smile immediately spread across my face.
 
Danny also relaxed upon seeing Alec and his team and quickly signaled to the cops that everything was alright.
 
Alec's eyes met mine across the bridge, and he gave me a small smile and a nod. 
 
"C'mon sweetie. We need to get you to the hospital first to get you checked out." Danny said.
 
He placed his arm on my shoulder and started guiding me in the direction where the cops were. I looked over my shoulder to see Alec one more time.
 
I didn't even say a proper goodbye, and I feel like this is probably the last time we will see each other. 
 
Something in my heart twisted painfully at the thought, and while I was walking away, I felt like something didn't sit right with me.
 
Without another thought, I twisted away from Danny's side, ignoring him calling out my name, and started running towards Alec. His face lit up in surprise when he saw me, and I quickly threw my arms around him the moment I reached him.
 
His arms also tightened around me during the embrace, and all I could think about was not letting go.
 
After a minute had passed, I finally decided to pull away and face him. His eyes started searching mine when I smiled at him.
 
"Thank you. For everything." 
 
His face immediately softened, and he reached for my hand. 
 
"I told you I'd keep you safe." 
 
We smiled at each other. But the moment didn't last very long when we all heard a loud sound in the air. I turned to look up at the sky and saw a chopper flying by and stopping right upon our heads.
 
For a moment, I thought it was my ride back home, but the minute I saw the face sitting at the back with a sniper rifle in his arms, shock had me paralyzed on the spot.
 
It all happened too fast.
 
One moment I was staring up at the sky, watching Juan about to shoot me, and then the next Alec was suddenly in front of me.
 
I watched in horror as the gun went off and the bullet hit Alec on the back, and he collapsed on top of me. A scream escaped from my mouth before I could stop it.
 
I desperately held onto Alec; he pushed his whole weight on top of me after taking that bullet, and we both collapsed on the ground on our knees.
 
"No, no, no, please, don't do this. Please! Alec please! Somebody help me!" 
 
Uncle Danny suddenly appeared by my side, his hand gripping around my arm and pulling me away from Alec. 
 
"No, we've got to help him! He's hurt!" I screamed against Danny as he kept pulling me away.
 
"We need to get you to safety first!" 
 
I broke down in another sob at my failed attempts to break free from Danny. The further he pulled me away, the more my heart broke into pieces as I watched him lay there on the ground with blood pooling around him.
 
More gunshots rang in the air, but nothing could ever distract me from seeing Alec laying lifeless there on the other side of the bridge. 
 
It only took a car door to slam in front of my face to finally snap back into reality. I cried even harder as the car started to move away and I could no longer see Alec's form on the bridge.

He was the last thing I saw before shock overwhelmed me, and before I knew it, darkness suddenly clouded my vision.