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.

less about the pain, and kept asking the same

time, we can't confirm

Esmeralda's

streamed down her

no matter how bad things

voices sounded

spotted Fleming at the

him. "Fleming, where did you just

as he looked her over. Esmeralda was a mess-tear streaks mingled with the dust on her

report

at her question. "It's pretty serious over

something had gone

time was different—a terrorist attack, right next to a

She grabbed his sleeve, gripping so tightly her knuckles turned white. "Can you help

pilot; if anyone could fly in

and answered in his usual official tone: "That's not allowed. I can't just

at all required

face went pale. "But this is

it would still be a

cold professionalism stung

it were