Chapter 100

The ranger station was deathly quiet, the silence broken only by the distant hum of the radio transmission. Amanda could feel the weight of the coming storm pressing down on her, every instinct screaming that they were running out of time. She gripped her gun tighter, her pulse quickening as she scanned the dark forest outside.

Ron knelt beside Nathan, checking his pulse one more time. "He’s hanging in there, but barely. We need to keep him safe until that chopper arrives."

Carter stood by the door, his expression unreadable. “We don’t have long. They’ll send a team to get Nathan, but so will the others. It’ll be a race.”

Amanda glanced at the terminal, where the voice had confirmed their rescue was only ten minutes away. Ten minutes felt like a lifetime. The forest around them seemed to close in, the shadows deepening as the moments ticked by.

“What do you think?” Ron asked, standing up and crossing the room. “Can we hold them off if they get here first?”

Carter’s eyes narrowed as he looked out the window. “It won’t be just a small group this time. They’ll come in hard, with numbers. We can hold them off, but we have to be smart. If we let them get too close, we’re finished.”

Amanda swallowed, nodding. “We’ve got no choice. We stand our ground.”

Ron moved to the small pile of ammunition they had scavenged earlier, loading spare magazines and checking the few grenades they had left. “We’ll need to funnel them. If they rush us from every side, we’re dead.”

Carter stepped forward, pulling out a knife from his belt. “There’s only one real entry point—the front door. We can block the windows and force them to come through the bottleneck.”

Amanda frowned, thinking it over. “But if they have explosives, they’ll blow right through.”

“Then we make it hard for them to get close,” Ron replied, moving to one of the windows. “We’ve got a decent line of sight from here. If we keep them at range, we might stand a chance.”

Carter nodded. “I’ll set up a few surprises outside, slow them down.”

Without another word, Carter slipped out of the station, disappearing into the darkness. Amanda watched him go, still unsure whether they could fully trust him. But right now, he was their best shot at surviving the night.

Ron finished prepping the gear and came to stand beside her. “You good?”

Amanda nodded, her mind focused on the task at hand. “I’m ready.”

The minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness. Amanda positioned herself near one of the windows, her eyes darting between the tree line and Nathan, who lay in the corner, his breathing shallow. Ron stood beside her, his rifle at the ready, his face tense but calm.

Suddenly, Carter reappeared, slipping back inside. “They’ll be here soon,” he said quietly. “Get ready.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Amanda heard it—a faint rustling in the trees, too subtle for the casual ear, but unmistakable to someone trained for combat. They were coming.

The three of them exchanged glances, silent communication passing between them. Amanda’s heart pounded in her chest, adrenaline surging through her veins. She adjusted her grip on her gun, steadying herself for what was to come.

“They’ll come in waves,” Carter whispered, crouching low by the door. “First, they’ll try to flush us out. Don’t let them.”

The sound of footsteps grew louder, closer, and Amanda’s pulse quickened. Then, the first figure emerged from the shadows—an armed man in black, moving silently toward the station. He was followed by another, then another, until a small squad of five had gathered just outside the building.

“They’re testing us,” Ron muttered. “Waiting for us to fire.”

Amanda didn’t move. She kept her breathing steady, her finger resting just above the trigger as she watched the squad fan out around the perimeter. They hadn’t seen Carter’s traps yet, but it was only a matter of time.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack as one of the men tripped a wire, triggering an explosion that sent him flying back into the trees. The other attackers immediately opened fire, bullets peppering the side of the station as they scrambled for cover.

“Now!” Ron shouted, raising his rifle and firing out of the window.

Amanda followed suit, squeezing off a burst of shots that hit one of the attackers square in the chest. The man crumpled to the ground as the others returned fire, bullets ricocheting off the walls.

Carter flanked them from the shadows, his movements swift and precise. He took down another attacker with a silent strike, his knife flashing in the moonlight. But the rest were regrouping, preparing for a full assault.

“They’re pulling back,” Amanda said, her voice tight. “But they’ll be back with more.”

As if on cue, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the trees, accompanied by the unmistakable rumble of an engine. Amanda’s stomach sank. They had brought in reinforcements—and vehicles.

Ron’s face was grim as he loaded another magazine. “We need to hold them off just a little longer.”

The engine grew louder, and through the trees, Amanda could see headlights approaching. A truck, armed with heavy weapons, was barreling toward them.

“They’re going to breach,” Carter growled. “Get ready.”

The truck skidded to a halt just outside the station, and Amanda could see men jumping out, armed with assault rifles and grenades. The final wave was here.

Ron moved beside her, his face set in grim determination. “We hold the line.”

They opened fire as the attackers charged, bullets flying in every direction. The truck’s mounted gun roared to life, tearing through the side of the station. Amanda ducked, her heart racing as she returned fire.

Carter fought from the shadows, his knife finding targets with deadly precision. But it was a losing battle. The attackers were overwhelming them, pushing closer with every second.

Suddenly, above the chaos, Amanda heard it—the sound of helicopter blades slicing through the air. She looked up, her eyes widening as she saw the dark shape of a military chopper descending toward the station.

“They’re here!” Ron shouted, his voice barely audible over the gunfire.

The attackers hesitated, their attention shifting to the helicopter. Amanda seized the opportunity, firing at the nearest target and taking him down. The chopper hovered overhead, its spotlight cutting through the trees as soldiers began to rappel down.

The attackers scattered, retreating into the woods as the rescue team touched down. Within moments, the area was secured, and the remaining enemies were either dead or fleeing into the night.

Amanda lowered her gun, her body shaking with exhaustion. It was over.

Ron moved to Nathan, who was barely clinging to life, but still breathing. The soldiers lifted him onto a stretcher, carrying him to the waiting chopper.

Amanda looked at Ron, her heart heavy with relief and exhaustion. They had survived.

But as she glanced around the clearing, she realized something was wrong. Carter was gone.

“He disappeared,” Ron said, his brow furrowed. “Must’ve slipped away during the chaos.”

Amanda felt a cold chill run down her spine. Carter had helped them, but his true motives remained a mystery.

As the chopper lifted off, carrying them away from the bloodshed, Amanda’s mind raced. They had escaped the immediate danger, but the secrets surrounding Nathan—and the people hunting him—were far from over.

Whatever was coming next, Amanda knew one thing for sure.

The fight wasn’t finished. Not by a long shot.