Chapter 83 He Descended from the Sky
The windshield wipers thrashed frantically, carving out only brief moments of clarity across the blurred glass.
The car struggled terribly on the muddy mountain road, moving at a snail's pace.
"Damn, this rain is insane!" the driver cursed, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
Suddenly, the wheels sank with a violent lurch, accompanied by the sound of the engine spinning uselessly. The car came to a complete stop.
"Great, we're stuck!" The driver tried pumping the gas a few times, but the tires just spun helplessly in the mud.
"Ladies, please wait in the car. I'll get out and take a look, try to push us out," the driver said, opening his door and pulling on a rain jacket before jumping out.
Emma's heart dropped, a strong sense of unease washing over her.
She turned to Evelyn and Nina. "I'm going out to check. You two stay here!"
"Emma, it's pouring out there!"
"It's fine." Without further explanation, Emma pushed open her door and stepped out.
The icy rain instantly soaked through her dress, making her shiver.
The driver was in the downpour behind the car, using all his strength to push, but the heavy SUV wouldn't budge.
Emma instinctively looked up toward the nearby hillside.
Her pupils contracted sharply.
The once-green mountainside now looked like it had been doused with thick yellow mud. That murky color was spreading downward at a visible speed, carrying broken trees and rocks, heading straight for their location!
"Oh God! Landslide!"
Emma's scalp prickled, her heart nearly jumping out of her throat.
She yanked open the rear door and shouted at the bewildered Evelyn and Nina inside,
"Evelyn, Nina, get out! Run!"
She practically dragged the two women from the car.
"What's happening?" Evelyn was startled.
"Don't ask! Just run!" Emma pulled them along, using every ounce of strength to rush toward slightly higher ground to the side.
"Get away from the car, now!" she shouted again.
The driver also realized the danger, abandoning the vehicle to follow them.
Almost the instant they got clear, the raging mudslide thundered down. The massive impact instantly swallowed, overturned, and buried the SUV.
In just seconds, only rolling yellow mud remained where the car had been—not even the roof's outline was visible.
Fortunately, there was an abandoned cabin on the back side of a nearby slope, or they would have been drenched to death.
The three of them stumbled and crawled into the crude wooden shelter by the roadside. The driver, fearing danger, climbed further up the mountain.
The three women collapsed onto cold stone benches, gasping heavily and staring outside in shock.
The brown muddy torrent roared like an angry beast toward the valley below, carving out a massive gap in the riverbank and instantly turning the water murky.
They were all soaked through, rain mixed with mud splatters making them look utterly bedraggled.
The mountain temperature plummeted, and the cold wind made them shiver uncontrollably!
Emma pulled out her phone—the screen was completely black, unresponsive no matter how many times she pressed the buttons. Completely dead.
Evelyn checked her phone too—also water-damaged and shut down. Nina indicated she didn't have a phone.
"We're screwed," Evelyn hugged her arms, teeth chattering, her voice breaking. "The phones are dead. We're completely doomed."
"Ah, ah!" Nina gestured frantically with her hands while Emma went over to gently stroke her head.
"Don't worry, someone will come rescue us," Emma said, putting her arms around both of them.
The rain gradually lessened, but darkness was visibly falling, dusk settling in.
"Are we... are we going to have to spend the night in this godforsaken place?" Evelyn looked around at the desolate surroundings, nearly crying. "This is the middle of nowhere. I'm so scared."
Emma's heart was heavy too, but she still offered comfort. "Don't be afraid. There's always a way."
Just then, a tremendous roaring sound approached from the distance, breaking the mountain valley's silence.
All three looked up simultaneously.
A helicopter crested the dark mountaintop, its massive body appearing in their field of vision.
"Look! Someone's coming! We're saved!" Evelyn jumped up excitedly, waving frantically toward the helicopter and shouting, "Hey! Over here! Look here!"
But the helicopter's roar was too loud, completely drowning out her shouts.
Emma stared intently at the aircraft.
She watched as a rope ladder was slowly lowered, followed by three figures rapidly rappelling down.
Their movements were swift and professional.
The first person to land wore black tactical gear, his form tall and straight.
The moment he touched ground, without a second's hesitation, he rushed toward where the vehicle had been buried.
Emma's heartbeat skipped.
That silhouette was too familiar.
It was Nicholas!
She watched Nicholas throw himself at the muddy area, finding where the car had been buried. Like a man possessed, he began digging through the thick mud with his bare hands, clawing and pounding at what might be the car's location.
His hoarse voice rang out, "Emma! Answer me! Emma, are you in there?"
His voice was distorted with urgency, carrying desperation.
The other two men in matching gear quickly followed—one pulling out tools to help dig, the other frantically calling into a radio.
The rain-soaked mud was slippery and sticky, making excavation extremely difficult.
Nicholas didn't care about anything else. Mud splattered across his face and clothes as he mechanically, frantically dug, as if he wanted to tear apart the entire mountain.
"Emma!"
Watching that figure throwing himself into the muddy chaos, seeing his back remain straight despite being covered in filth, seeing the undisguised panic and desperation on his face.
Emma's eyes instantly welled up. She couldn't hold back anymore, breaking into a run toward Nicholas.
The icy rain and mud couldn't stop her.
"Nicholas!"
Her voice carried a sob, piercing through the rain and the helicopter's roar.
Nicholas, still frantically digging, suddenly froze.
He seemed unable to believe his ears, stiffly raising his head.
Muddy water slid down his sharp cheekbones, revealing eyes filled with bloodshot veins.
When his gaze captured that figure stumbling toward him, his pupils dilated instantly.
The next second, he threw down what was in his hands and shot toward Emma like an arrow released from its bow, heedless of everything else.
Heavy combat boots splashed through the mud, sending up sprays of dirty water.
He reached her and, carrying the scent of cold air and earth, pulled her into his arms without hesitation.
The force was tremendous, squeezing Emma until she could barely breathe, her bones aching.
But this embrace carried scalding warmth, driving away all her cold and fear.
By the time they returned to the hotel, it was past nine PM.
Nicholas changed into clean clothes and knocked on Emma's door.
He'd booked her the presidential suite. As for Evelyn and Nina, Ethan had already taken them back to Emerald City.
Emma opened the door to find that perfect man standing in the doorway.
Before she could speak, without any warning, the man pulled her into his arms and captured her lips.
A possessive kiss, domineering and filled with long-suppressed longing.
Tonight belonged to him and her alone.