SNEAK PEEK
Forged in Justice: Coming November 2024




...water was rushing in with an alarming speed.

We reached for our seatbelts. Kyle got his undone quickly, but I wasn't so fortunate.

"Justice!" His panicked voice sounded in my ears. "We gotta get out of here!"

I struggled desperately with my seatbelt, breathing heavily. "Kyle, go!" I shouted. "Get out of here before we go completely under!"

I could see from the determined expression on his face he wasn't about to listen to me. He moved closer, bending over the console. "Turn your head," He directed. I quickly turned toward the window, my heart pounding as the water reached the top of my boots.

A loud snap filled the air, and the seatbelt came undone, hitting me square in the jaw. The pain didn't even register as I tried to roll my window down, but to no avail. Fantastic. Just what we needed.

My gaze landed on my firearm as the water clawed it's way up to my waist. I glanced over at Kyle, his chest rising and falling rapidly, and my determination solidified. I jerked my gun out of its holster, aimed at the edge of the glass, and fired.

The glass shattered, leaving only a few small shards I cleared away with my hand.

"Grab my belt!" I shouted to Kyle as I readied myself to crawl through the window. I felt his hand slip through my belt, grasping it tightly. I waited until he was right behind me, then plunged into the water. The truck disappeared just as we freed ourselves of its grip.

Kyle's free hand treaded water as we surfaced. I looked around, my mind sizing up our situation. The current was stronger than I anticipated, pulling us downstream at an alarming rate. I thought of the waterfall a couple of miles downstream. That drop would kill us if we didn't drown first. We needed to get to shore, and we needed to do it now.

I fought against the current with all my strength. Inch by inch, kick by kick, we slowly made it towards the bank.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a boulder materialized. I glanced over at Kyle. He was headed straight for that boulder, and from the looks of it his shooting arm would absorb most of the impact. That was his shooting arm. If he broke it right now, the consequences could be dire for both of us.

I managed to twist our bodies last minute. The air rushed from my lungs as my body slammed against the boulder. I stifled a cry as I heard a loud crack in my ribcage.

Kyle grabbed my waist, either not knowing about my no-doubt broken ribs or simply deciding our lives were more important. Together, we made our way to the riverbank.

After what felt like an eternity, my waterlogged boots dug into the rough riverbed. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to move forward.

Kyle made it to the bank first. He extended his hand and pulled me onto dry ground.

I coughed up water, gasping for air. Still sputtering himself, Kyle leaned over. He tilted my head, checking to see if my pupils were dilated.

Seemingly satisfied, his gaze shifted to my arms clutching my burning ribs. He gently unbuttoned my shirt just enough to reveal my ribcage. He gasped. "Justice, how hard did you hit that boulder?"

"Pretty hard," I rasped, starring up at the overcast skies.

"I think you've got some broken ribs."

I managed a weak laugh and lifted my head. "You think?"


© Shelby Pryor