How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

The deafening roar all around made Elodie's heart pound in her chest. She stared at the rising dust clouds in the distance—they were coming fast, the danger nearly upon them.

She knew exactly why: the entire team was making an emergency evacuation, scrambling to escape with all their equipment.

Her expression grew tense. "All right, pack up the gear-make sure nothing gets left behind or broken."

She barely finished before stooping to retrieve her phone from the ground. The screen was shattered, jagged from where it had struck the rocks, but it still flickered to life-barely usable.

With the crowd surging around her, Elodie moved quickly toward the exit, punching in Jarrod's number as she walked. The situation here was spiraling into chaos; she had to stop Jarrod from coming anywhere near.

But-

"We're sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable..."

That sterile, automated voice squeezed her heart with icy fingers.

A vague, suffocating sense of dread swept over her.

She reached the car and paused, trying Jarrod's number again.

Same result-no signal, no answer.

Elodie drew in a shaky breath, climbed into the back seat, and immediately called Esmeralda instead. Esmeralda wasn't with her; Elodie had no idea if she was safe.

are you? Are you still there? Someone

sped onto the main road. Gunfire rattled in the distance. Elodie had always known that her home country was strong, that ordinary citizens rarely experienced this

hand over her ear, raising her voice to be heard

Bang!

and Elodie's phone

the signal seemed to flicker and

her

find

least she knew Esmeralda

.n

safe;

had to find some way

reach Jarrod.

her phone, the screen was dead-black, unresponsive, finished after two hard

pricked her

turned to the big, broad-shouldered man escorting her—a security contractor

I

didn't hesitate. His phone was old and basic, but he handed it over

always had a sharp mind and a flawless memory-she tapped in

here was too weak, the lines jammed

forced herself to breathe, to keep her nerves steady, and gazed out the window at the swirling