Chapter 20 - The Wreckage|
Pain was the first thing Mateo registered. A hot, searing ache radiating from his ribs, followed by the sticky warmth of blood trickling down his forehead.
He opened his eyes, blinking through a haze of smoke and dust. The SUV was upside down, the roof crushed inward. The smell of burning rubber and gasoline was overwhelming.
He was hanging upside down, tangled in the center console. The driver was slumped over the steering wheel, completely motionless, his head at an unnatural angle.
"Help..." Mateo croaked, but his voice was barely a whisper.
He had to get out. The smell of gas was getting stronger. He braced his hands against the shattered roof and kicked violently at the twisted metal of his door. It wouldn't budge.
Panic, raw and primal, clawed at his chest. He felt like he was back in that wooden box, trapped, waiting in the dark.
"No," Mateo growled, his vision swimming. "I'm not dying in a cage."
He twisted his body, ignoring the blinding pain in his ribs, and crawled over the dead driver, pushing toward the blown-out windshield. Sharp glass tore at his arms and jacket, but he didn't stop. He dragged himself through the jagged opening, collapsing onto the damp dirt of the embankment.
Above him, on the road, he could hear tires screeching to a halt and doors slamming.
"Down there! I see the car!" a voice shouted. It was Vargas.
Mateo tried to stand, but his legs gave out. He rolled onto his back, gasping for air, watching the flashing red and blue lights reflect against the trees above.
Footsteps crashed down the steep, wooded hill.
"Mateo!"
It was Mariana. She slid down the last few feet of mud and threw herself onto her knees beside him, her hands hovering frantically over his bruised and bloodied face, afraid to touch him and cause more pain.
"I'm okay," Mateo coughed, forcing a weak smile. "I stopped him."
"You foolish, brave, stubborn boy," Mariana sobbed, carefully cradling his head in her lap.
Elena appeared seconds later, out of breath and pale as a ghost. She dropped to her knees on his other side, grabbing his hand. "An ambulance is coming, baby. Just hold on."
For the first time in his life, Mateo looked up at the two women. The mother who had fought to save him, and the mother who had fought to find him.
"Chloe?" Mateo whispered, his eyes heavy.
May you like
"She's safe," Vargas said, stepping up behind them with his flashlight. "Tactical got her out. You did good, kid."
Mateo let his eyes close, the sound of the approaching ambulance sirens singing him into unconsciousness.
