Suddenly, the ground gave way beneath my feet.

I slid down a muddy embankment, tumbling into a shallow creek bed.

The cold water shocked my system.

I scrambled to my feet, looking up at the high bank.

A shadow stood at the top of the ridge, looking down at me.

The red laser dot reappeared, settling directly on my forehead.

The light was steady.

It didn’t shake.

“End of the line, Captain,” a voice called down from the darkness.

I froze, the water swirling around my boots.

The laser dot burned against my skin.

From the woods behind the shadow, a soft, familiar cry echoed through the trees.

It was the sound of a one-year-old child waking up.

My heart stopped.

“Emma,” I whispered.

The shadow raised its weapon.

A finger tightened on the trigger.

The red dot remained perfectly still between my eyes.

I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second, preparing for the sound of the shot.

But instead of a gunshot, a sudden, blinding light erupted from the trees to my left.

A high-powered spotlight cut through the darkness, illuminating the shadow on the ridge.