Rocco stood at the cliff’s edge, holding Avery in his arms, his flashlight beam piercing through the darkness and glaring straight into my face.
Rocco’s face hardened into a mask of icy fury.
“How dare you touch my woman and child? You’re begging for death!”
This was a desolate wilderness, after all. A fall from a cliff wouldn’t raise a single question.
At precisely midnight, my wristband buzzed, a colleague’s voice crackling through.
“Valerie, the time shuttle has arrived at the destination. It’ll only be here for thirty seconds, so please board immediately.”
Clinging desperately to the branch, I barely managed to whisper, “I’m hanging off a cliff.”
“Oh? That’s quite the boarding method,” the voice replied casually. “Don’t worry, I’ll activate the special boarding system. Just jump.”
Despite my barely audible voice, Rocco caught every word.
His expression shifted from anger to sheer panic.
He shoved Avery aside, leaning dangerously over the edge, his eyes burning with urgency. “Who are you? Take off your mask! I said, take off your mask!”
His voice trembled, fear creeping into every syllable.
A fear so raw, so suffocating, it was beyond comprehension.