CHAPTER SIX HUNDRED – HELICOPTER CRASH

"We need to set down," Sergei said, his voice tense. "But in this visibility..." The shaking intensified. Jasmine gripped her seat, her heart racing. She had faced so many challenges over the course of this production, but nothing had prepared her for this. Sergei was wrestling with the controls, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cold. The helicopter lurched sickeningly, and Jasmine heard the alarming sound of ice hitting the rotors. "Hang on!" Sergei shouted. "This is going to be rough!" The world outside the window had become a swirling mass of white. Jasmine couldn't tell if they were right side up or upside down. The noise was deafening - the howl of the wind, the strain of the engines, the rattle of ice against metal. There was a terrible wrenching sound, and suddenly they were falling. Jasmine's stomach lurched as the helicopter plummeted. She closed her eyes, bracing for impact. The crash, when it came, was both louder and softer than Jasmine had expected. There wa