Chapter 5 - RAGING WATERS
distributional The SUV roared across the rotting wooden planks of the narrow bridge.
Pieces of wood snapped and splintered under the weight of the heavy vehicle.
Just as the rear wheels cleared the span, the pickup truck rammed the rear side of Jax’s vehicle once again.
The force of the collision sent the SUV spinning out of control across the muddy bank on the opposite side of the river.
The vehicle flipped onto its side, crashing violently into a thick oak tree before coming to a sudden stop.
Silence descended upon the cabin, broken only by the sound of heavy rain pounding on the metal frame.
Smoke began pouring from under the crumpled hood.
Jax groaned in pain, feeling a sharp sting on the side of his forehead where blood was trickling down.
"Lily!" Jax shouted frantically, shaking off the dizziness.
"Lily, answer me!"
From the back, a faint, terrified cough sounded.
"Daddy... my leg hurts," Lily cried softly.
Jax unbuckled his seatbelt and tumbled down against the shattered glass of the driver's window.
He scrambled into the backseat, kicking frantically at the jammed side door until it burst open.
He unclipped Lily from the crushed child seat and pulled her gently into his arms.
"You're okay, baby, you're okay," Jax murmured, inspecting her small body for major injuries.
Her left leg was bruised, but thankfully nothing appeared broken.
Footsteps sloshed through the deep mud outside the wrecked SUV.
Jax looked out and saw two shadow figures approaching, guns drawn and flashlights cutting through the rain.
"Check the wreck," a harsh voice commanded over the noise of the storm. "Victor wants the girl intact, but the father can be put down."
Jax’s eyes turned cold as steel.
He reached down to his holster, unlatched the strap, and drew his heavy semi-automatic pistol.
He held Lily closely against his chest with his left arm, muffling her small mouth gently with his hand to keep her silent.
"Shh... stay completely quiet, sweetheart," Jax whispered right against her ear.
He slipped out through the broken rear window, merging into the pitch-black shadows of the rainy forest.
The two mercenaries approached the smoking wreckage, pointing their flashlights inside.
"It's empty!" one of them shouted.
"They couldn't have gone far," the second one replied, turning his flashlight toward the treeline.
Before the beam of light could reach Jax, he stepped out from behind a tree trunk.
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BANG! BANG!
Two precise gunshots rang out through the thunderous storm.
