Page 64 of Not This Soon

The mine shaft gaped before her, a yawning void that seemed to swallow the meager light. She moved closer, every sense on high alert.

From deep within the darkness, she heard a sound that made her blood run cold. A muffled cry of pain.

Rachel's pulse raced, fear and adrenaline coursing through her veins. She edged closer to the mine shaft, straining to hear any further sounds from within. The silence that greeted her was oppressive, broken only by the whisper of the wind across the desert sands.

She drew closer, her shadow pooling across the ground like ink. There, the abandoned ATV, practically blocking the cave entrance.

She frowned at the ATV, as if willing it to reveal secrets. The back seat was stained in blood, too.

Ethan, she thought desperately.

Another step.

Another.

There, on the cliff, a flash of silver.

Shit. She moved sharply.

A gunshot shattered the night, the bullet striking Rachel's arm. Pain exploded through her, the force spinning her around. She dove behind the ATV, heart pounding, blood trickling down her sleeve.

Footsteps crunched on the sand, drawing closer. Rachel pressed her back against the vehicle, her breathing shallow. She gripped her gun, ignoring the searing pain in her arm.

Shouts echoed from inside the tunnel, desperate and panicked. Rachel's heart leaped into her throat. Ethan.

She risked a glance around the ATV, her eyes widening in horror as she shone her flashlight towards the tunnel’s entrance.

She froze, staring in horror.

Ethan lay tied down, his body writhing, covered in snakes. Their scales glinted in the moonlight, their hisses filling the air. They slithered and coiled and curled over her partner.

Rachel's stomach turned, bile rising in her throat. She had to get to him, had to free him before it was too late.

But the killer was sheltered on the ridge, aiming towards her.

Rachel's mind raced, trying to formulate a plan. She had to distract the killer, give herself a chance to reach Ethan.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself against the pain. Then, in one swift motion, she rose from behind the ATV, firing off a shot into the darkness.

The bullet ricocheted off the rocks at the top of the butte, the sound echoing through the valley. Rachel didn't wait to see if it hit its mark.

Instead, she shouted, "Atticus Silver!" Rachel shouted, her voice echoing through the tunnel. "I know it's you!"

She kept her gun trained on the darkness, her eyes scanning for any sign of movement. The snakes continued to twist and writhe around Ethan, their scales glistening in the dim light.

"Rachel?" Ethan's voice was strained, barely audible over the hissing of the snakes. "Is that you?"

"I'm here, Ethan," Rachel called back, trying to keep her voice steady. "Just hold on, okay? I'm going to get you out of there."

She could hear him grunting in pain, fighting to keep his terror at bay. His life hanging in the balance, Rachel knew she couldn't fail him now.

As another shot rang out, Rachel felt a shiver travel down her spine. Atticus was still circling them, like a predator closing in on its prey.

"You're not helping anyone, Atticus!" she called out, trying to reason with him. "This isn't what your parents would've wanted!" A personal connection. Trying to ground him in his choices. To distract him at the very least.

The desert fell silent, even the snakes seemed to pause, as if waiting for Atticus's response.

Rachel seized this opportunity. She moved swiftly and silently towards Ethan, pulling a knife from her boot. The snakes recoiled at her approach, but she kept her eyes on the ropes binding Ethan.

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