Lazarus Protocol

Chapter 19: Endgame

The acrid smell of burning fuel and scorched earth filled Alexander Kincaid's nostrils as he clawed his way back to consciousness. Pain radiated through every inch of his body, but the sharp clarity of his mind told him the Lazarus Protocol was still active, pushing his battered form beyond normal human limits.

"Sarah?" he croaked, blinking away blood and sweat as he surveyed the wreckage of the helicopter. Relief washed over him as he saw her stirring nearby, bruised but alive.

"I'm here," she groaned, extricating herself from twisted metal. "Jack?"

A muffled curse from the cockpit answered her question. "Still kicking," Jack's strained voice called out. "But..." His voice faltered, and for a moment, Jack couldn't continue.

Alexander's gut twisted. He scanned the wreckage again, his mind refusing to acknowledge the glaring absence. "Where's Joseph?" he rasped, dread seeping into his voice.

Jack's face was pale as he pushed himself out of the cockpit. "He didn't make it... I tried to get him out, Alex, I swear, but the fire... it was too fast."

The world seemed to slow, the words hitting Alexander harder than any physical blow. Joseph was gone. He hadn't survived the crash. The man who had stood by their side through everything-through hell and back-was gone.

Sarah's sharp intake of breath beside him was the only sound that broke the heavy silence. She pressed a hand to her mouth, tears pooling in her eyes as the weight of the loss settled over them.

Alexander's mind reeled. Joseph, their steadfast ally, was dead. The raw pain surged, but there was no time to grieve, not now. His fists clenched as he swallowed the grief threatening to overwhelm him.

"But we need to move. Those Chimera birds will be circling back any minute," Jack added, his voice raw with sorrow.

Alexander forced himself to his feet, ignoring the protests of his battered body. He helped Sarah up, her face drawn in silent mourning, then moved to assist Jack to safety just as the tongues of flame began to lick at the fuel-soaked grass beneath the wreckage.

They stumbled into the cover of the dense Alpine forest, the sound of approaching aircraft growing louder with each passing second. Alexander's mind raced, assessing their options. But every thought was laced with the hollow absence Joseph had left behind. They were stranded in hostile territory, injured, with limited supplies, no clear extraction plan, and now... they were one man down.

"We need to contact Dr. Petrova and Sir Robert," he said, his voice hoarse, turning to Sarah. "Did the sat phone survive the crash?"

Sarah checked her pack, her face falling as she pulled out the shattered remains of their communications lifeline. "No good. We're on our own."

Jack, leaning heavily against a tree, pulled out a battered tablet. "Not quite," he said, a grim smile playing at his lips. "I managed to download some of the data from The Eyrie before we bugged out. It's not much, but it might give us a clue about Dravenko's next move."

Alexander nodded, his tactical mind already formulating a plan. "Alright. We find shelter, patch ourselves up, and figure out our next move. Dravenko's still out there, and if what he said is true, this is far from over."

As they moved deeper into the forest, the sounds of Chimera search parties echoing in the distance, Alexander couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking into yet another of Dravenko's elaborately orchestrated traps. But what choice did they have?

Hours later, huddled in the relative safety of a small mountain cave, Alexander pored over the data Jack had salvaged. Sarah tended to their wounds with their meager first aid supplies, while Jack kept watch at the cave's entrance.