The sheer force of the detonation slammed us to the ground, our faces plummeting into the soil and our skin getting grazed by the prickly thorns and leaves. Shards of concrete, stone, metal and glass burst into the air and the canopy trees flailed about wildly. There was a persistent ringing in my ears as the deafening sound waves of the bomb bounced from tree to tree. All the scientists were sprawled graphically on the ground, with some limbs detached, some bones protruding from their lifeless skin and blood seeping out incessantly. An intense fire emerged and tore ruthlessly through the canopy trees above. The towering tree trunks collapsed violently on top of the destruction, crippling the remaining body pieces of the scientists into small fragments of human flesh. A thick cloud of black smoke spread across the area, spreading faster than a coalition of cheetahs scampering across a savannah.

My fingers narrowly caught Drago’s helicopter skids, as just below me our helicopter exploded. A cloud of fire and smoke roared ferociously, as metal pieces were sent flying in random directions. The rotor blades dissembled and flailed about in mid-air, before crashing into the ocean. The metal body of the helicopter also plummeted into the ocean, creating an enormous splash that weakened my grip on the skid. My shoulders and arms struggled to keep hold of the skid, the sweat on the palm of my hands posing as a serious death threat. With all my remaining strength, I pulled myself up so that my armpits were resting on the skid.  Perfect timing. I’d escaped from the clutches of death once again, and was now directly underneath Drago’s helicopter, flying away, with him completely immune to my presence.

Using his grip on my ankle as a pivot, I swivelled round and kicked him in the head with my left leg. I dropped on the warm sand, whilst Drago was sent flying back into the ocean with a loud crash. That bought me time. As he slowly recovered, I picked myself up and stumbled across the beach as far as I could. I fell to the floor, breathing heavily as another relentless wave of blackout dawned over me.  I had to regain my composure. It wasn’t over. Yet. Drago slowly got to his feet, the blow to his head taking an evident toll on his body. He staggered through the shallow water and also dropped on the sand, panting desperately.  The Golden Lea

09:33. I had overslept once again. I groaned, as I uncurled myself and sat up on my bed. I winced in pain, as my ankle was still sore. My head felt heavy and a wave of thirst came over me. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and stood up. Limping off to the bathroom, I splashed three handfuls of ice cold water on my face, instantly waking me up. I looked myself in the mirror. Dark circles surrounded my eyes, as the events that had unfolded just a few days ago played itself out in my mind, like a ghost that remained persistent in its pursuit to haunt me. First, Zak and the tiger. The staircase that had appeared literally out of nowhere. Adrian’s betrayal. Obsidian’s headquarters. The dungeon. The warehouse. The laboratory. The bomb explosion. The helicopter chase. 

“Marco! We’ve arrived now,” I heard Senor Ramirez. I had drifted off to sleep, which was an inevitability in the scorching sunshine and the luxury of the Mercedes. I slowly opened my eyes, eager to see where we’d arrived. I looked through the tinted windows and was truly stunned at where the Covert Operations division of the CIA was located. “Thank you,” Senor Ramirez said to the driver. “Your car is a gem!” “Thanks mate! Indeed it is,” the driver replied, patting the steering wheel in admiration.