Chapter 14 - Ava’s Second SignalAva saw the helicopter drop.
The aircraft’s nose dipped toward the ocean before pulling sharply upward.
Something was wrong inside.
She had seconds before reaching the ledge.
Her wrist device pulsed a warning.
Primary upload interrupted.
Ava’s stomach tightened.
Ethan had found a way to cut communication.
But the device had a second channel.
It required manual activation.
Ava released one steering loop long enough to twist her wrist inward.
A small panel opened beneath the blazer cuff.
Two buttons rested inside.
The first transmitted through civilian networks.
The second used a low-band emergency burst designed for aircraft and maritime rescue systems.
Activating it would drain nearly all remaining power.
It would also disable automatic landing assistance.
Ava looked at the ledge.
She needed the guidance system.
She needed the rescue signal more.
She pressed the second button.
The wrist device vibrated once, then became still.
A narrow red light appeared beneath the cuff.
The smart wing’s automatic corrections stopped immediately.
Ava now controlled everything manually.
The crosswind pushed her toward the cliff wall.
She pulled hard on the right line.
The wing turned.
Too slowly.
The rock face filled her vision.
Ava lifted both knees and twisted her body sideways.
Her shoulder struck the edge of the cliff.
Stone tore through the cream fabric of her blazer.
She bounced away from the wall.
The wing collapsed partially.
Ava dropped the final twenty feet.
She landed on the brush-covered ledge with one foot, then her hip.
Her body rolled toward the edge.
She dug both hands into the dirt.
Loose stones disappeared over the cliff.
Ava stopped inches from the drop.
For several seconds, she could not breathe.
Then she felt movement beneath her hand.
The baby was still moving.
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Above, the red emergency burst left her device and crossed the open sky.
👉 Ava survived the landing—but she had sacrificed the system that could tell rescuers exactly where she was.
