Page 77 of Fighting for Lucy

If Zimraan got her away from there then it would be all over. She’d be killed, she’d never go home, and never get to explore this thing with Zander. Without her, she was worried about what would happen to him. It wasn’t out of a sense of ego it was just that he already blamed himself for what happened to his team, and then if she died at the hands of the same family, would he be able to survive it?

No.

She couldn’t let Zimraan take her away.

With her on the helo there was no way the guys would be able to shoot it down because she’d die along with the terrorist if they crashed.

But if she took herself out of the equation …

Then they could do what had to be done.

A quick glance out the window showed they were barely ten feet off the ground. Not terrible odds, she would almost definitely survive that fall. The guys were too far away to be able to do anything, although they were quickly making ground.

This was her only choice, and delaying only increased the chance she would die.

“Jump,” she yelled to the pilot, she didn't want his death on her conscience. If both of them jumped, it left Zimraan to decide between going over the side with them and getting caught or killed by the men on the ground, or crashing in the helo because she doubted the young man knew how to fly it. Even if he did, the second she was clear, Zander and the others would open fire on the helo.

Not needing to be told twice, the pilot jumped.

Startled, Zimraan lowered the blade enough that she was able to summon all the remaining strength left in her body and shove him to the side.

Then without a second thought, Lucy pretended she was just going sky-diving with a parachute safely strapped to her back, and threw herself out the helo door.

They’d risen another couple of feet, but she was still confident that she could survive the fall as she slowly dropped toward the earth. Time seemed to slow down, and her body felt weightless. If her parents could see her now, bloody wounds, half naked with her sweater flapping in the wind, jumping out of helicopters, they’d have a heart attack and insist that she live at home with them forever.

But she’d saved herself.

And there was a smile on her lips that was only wiped off by the jarring thud of her body slamming into the hard, unforgiving ground.

Footsteps pounded toward her, and a second later, a body flung itself on top of hers.

Covered as she was, the explosion almost caught her by surprise.

Still, as soon as her brain processed that it had to be the helo hitting the ground, she let out a sigh of relief. Zimraan was dead. That meant Zander was safe.

The relief made her lightheaded.

Or perhaps that was shock.

Or cold, or pain.

Or even an impending seizure.

Take your pick.

Any or maybe all of them.

“Don’t youeverdo something so crazy and reckless again,” Zander’s voice was harsh with fear, but his hands as he eased her onto her back were so very gentle.

Blinking, she tried to clear her vision, but everything remained hazy.

Kind of … distant … removed.

She was here but she didn't feel like she was here.

Her body might have hit the ground, but her mind seemed to be still floating through the air.

“Lucy? Answer me, now! Are you okay?” Zander sounded panicked, and even though she really wanted to soothe him, she didn't seem to have control over anything. Not even her own body.