How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

The convoy turned and drove away.

Elodie watched the lead car up ahead, realizing they had no idea where they were being taken.

But...

She glanced at her colleague's basic phone-not the smartest device, but good enough. She quickly sent Jarrod a few updates: their real-time location, the route, anything that could help.

To be safe, she sent some of the information to Esmeralda as well.

As soon as they got a signal, the messages would be delivered automatically.

On Esmeralda's end.

She'd been among the first group evacuated.

The chaos happened so suddenly she hadn't even gotten a chance to look for Elodie.

Now, anxiety kept her pacing, unable to sit still.

Elodie's phone had gone dark. Esmeralda had asked the person in charge here, but the answer was always the same: "Sorry, we're still coordinating and checking. The moment we have any news, you'll know right away."

"So, you're saying Elodie might still be trapped inside?" Her breath came quick and shallow, her eyes red from worry.

She was so agitated that the gash on her lower leg-scraped in her frantic escape -had started bleeding again.

about the pain, and kept asking the same

time, we can't confirm

time she heard that, Esmeralda's hope shrank a little

streamed down her

matter how bad things

sounded

up and instantly spotted Fleming

moment, it was as if she'd seen a lifeline. Limping, she hurried toward him. "Fleming,

he looked her over. Esmeralda

to report on

head at her

arrived that something had gone wrong at the

this country, emergencies were the norm, but this time was

gripping so tightly her knuckles turned white. "Can you help me?

pilot; if anyone could fly in and

understood how she felt, but he looked down at her wrinkled shirt and answered

at all required

pale. "But this

matter the situation, it would still be a personal action," Fleming replied, not giving

cold professionalism stung like a

his sleeve loosened. "If it