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XIV

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The plane crashed nose-first into the side of a mountain. It toppled end over end three times. The agents who had tended to their fallen comrades rather than buckle up bounced around the cabin like Superballs, as did the dead bodies.

Riggler's lifeless and bloody corpse smashed into the ceiling and dropped on top of Nashida and Cassata. His head collided with Nashida's face, instantly knocking him unconscious. Once Riggler's body rolled off of them, Nashida's shoulders slumped into Cassata's seat. Cassata let out a scream similar to a thirteen-year-old girl at her favorite boy band's concert.

As the plane rolled down the side of a mountain, a rock caught the door and tore it from the frame, creating a gaping hole in the side. The Airbus rocked back and forth one last time before finally coming to a stop. It lay at a nearly forty-five-degree angle with the nose pointed downward.

Parker Cassata's hands wouldn't stop shaking. He stayed conscious during the entire collision. He watched the whole thing, got assaulted by a flying dead body, possibly had another one in his lap, and still somehow survived. He couldn't catch his breath. He remembered hyperventilating back when the Elmwood Park Police arrested him for the Amato murder. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Relax, Parker.

What was that?

Cassata opened his left eye and turned to his right, assuming the voice belonged to Nashida, but he was still either dead or out cold. Cassata leaned out of his seat, checking the rest of the cabin. No one moved or made a sound. Were they all dead?

You need to run, Parker. Get far away from here.

Cassata jerked his head left and right, trying to locate The Whisper. But it was just him. He was all alone in that plane. The sole survivor.

Run!

Cassata had no idea where the voice was coming from, but it made sense. He was free. No more FBI, no more Amato family, and no more scary Blade knockoff chasing him across the country. This was his chance to finally start over. His chance to disappear. Who cares where they landed? He would make the best of it.

Cassata's hands trembled as he unhooked the seatbelt. He looked at Nashida's motionless face and saw that the agent was still breathing. Just knocked out; not dead. He would wake up soon.

Time to go, Parker.

Cassata stood up, and his stomach rumbled. Too bad there wasn't any food inside. He looked toward the rip in the side of the cabin and tasted freedom, which was much more satiating. He walked to the gap and slowly stepped out into the icy wilderness.

He was finally free.