Rain hammered harder against the fractured boathouse, a deafening roar masking the chaos. The river churned violently, swollen with storm runoff, lapping against the crumbled remains of the tunnel. Flames hissed where they met water, orange reflections dancing on the surging current.
Nathan staggered forward; his grip locked around Ellen's stretcher. Water rushed past his shoulders now, icy and relentless. Scarlett clung to Ellen's hand, trembling, her face pale as she whispered desperate pleas under her breath.
"Hold on, Mom. Stay with me. Please."
Ellen's eyes barely flickered open. Her breath was shallow, skin deathly pale, the cold leeching the life from her body.
Henry coughed, dragging himself through the rising flood with his gun clutched tightly to his chest. "We're not… gonna last in this!"
