When Love is a Question Mark
Chapter 137: Evacuate

Chapter 137: Evacuate

Zinnia’s eyes widened as she turned her head toward the horizon. "Helicopters?" she muttered, shading her eyes from the sun as two massive helicopters appeared, hovering over the ship. The blades whipped through the air with a force so strong it sent waves rippling across the ocean below and caused loose papers on set to go flying.

"Everyone, hold onto your things!" one of the crew members shouted, running to secure the equipment.

Zinnia instinctively grabbed her clipboard and tried to shield herself from the gusts of wind generated by the helicopters. Her hair whipped wildly around her face as she struggled to maintain her balance. The noise was deafening, drowning out the confused chatter among the cast and crew.

One of the helicopters descended lower, and a voice blared from a loudspeaker. "Attention! Attention!" The announcement cut through the chaos, commanding everyone’s focus. The crew exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what to make of the unexpected interruption.

Zinnia squinted through the commotion, her heart pounding. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw a familiar figure emerge from the helicopter. Samuel. He was dressed in a sleek, dark suit, his hair disheveled from the wind. He hurriedly stepped onto the deck of the ship as the helicopter hovered above, the noise nearly drowning out his frantic shouts.

"Zinnia!" Samuel’s voice rang out, desperation and urgency lacing his tone. He pushed past several stunned crew members, his eyes frantically searching the crowd for her. "Zinnia, where are you?"

Zinnia’s heart skipped a beat. She had never seen Samuel like this—so disheveled, so... panicked. Dropping her clipboard, she took a shaky step forward, her voice coming out as a mere whisper. "Samuel?"

He heard her. His head whipped in her direction, and relief flooded his face. "Zinnia!" Samuel broke into a run, weaving his way through the stunned onlookers, his long strides eating up the distance between them.

Zinnia was frozen in place, her mind racing with questions. What was he doing here? What could be so urgent that he arrived in a helicopter, causing a scene that had brought their film shoot to a standstill?

When Samuel finally reached her, he grabbed her shoulders, his grip firm yet gentle. "Are you okay?" he demanded, his gaze searching her face. His voice was thick with emotion, his eyes filled with an intensity that made her throat tighten.

"Samuel, what... what is going on?" Zinnia stammered, her heart racing.

He took a moment to catch his breath, his chest rising and falling. "I didn’t mean to alarm everyone," he said, his voice raw, "but I had to make sure you were safe. Something urgent came up, and I couldn’t wait."

Zinnia blinked, her confusion deepening. "Safe from what?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Samuel, you’re scaring me."

He hesitated, his hands still on her shoulders, as if grounding himself in her presence. His eyes flickered with something she couldn’t quite place—fear, relief, maybe both.

By now, the entire crew had gathered around, watching the scene unfold with wide eyes. The hum of the helicopters continued to fill the air, but the only thing Zinnia could focus on was Samuel—the worry etched into his features, the way he seemed ready to protect her from whatever danger he had come to warn her about.

Samuel took a deep breath, his grip on Zinnia’s shoulders tightening slightly. He turned back to her, his face shadowed with worry, and spoke softly but urgently. "I’m sorry for causing a scene," he said, his voice low enough for only her to hear. "But we received a credible report. There... there might be a bomb on the ship."

Zinnia felt the blood drain from her face, her knees threatening to buckle. "A bomb?" she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath.

Samuel nodded, his jaw clenched. "I couldn’t let you or anyone else get hurt," he said, his voice thick with concern. "I needed to make sure you were safe, no matter the cost."

Marcos cleared his throat, stepping forward cautiously. "Excuse me," he said, his voice tinged with both curiosity and concern. "Is everything all right here?"

Samuel turned to face the director, his expression carefully guarded. "I’m sorry for the interruption," he said, his voice steady but urgent. "But this couldn’t wait."

Marcos, who was standing nearby with a perplexed expression and still clutching the script for the upcoming scene, took a moment to process Samuel’s words. Samuel’s usually composed demeanor was strained, and urgency radiated from his eyes.

"Marcos," Samuel called, his voice steady but intense, "we received a report that there might be a bomb on this ship." He took a deep breath, aware of the gravity of the situation. "We came to rescue everyone and evacuate you all to safety."

Marcos’s eyes widened, his grip on the script loosening. The director’s face paled slightly, but he forced himself to focus. "A bomb?" he repeated, the word echoing in disbelief.

Samuel nodded, his jaw set. "Yes. We don’t know for sure, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. We need to move everyone off the ship immediately." His tone left no room for argument.

Overhearing fragments of their conversation, a few nearby crew members began to catch on. Murmurs rippled through the crowd, a ripple of fear spreading as people exchanged nervous glances. The festive excitement of the film set evaporated, replaced by a palpable sense of dread.

Zinnia’s mind raced, panic tightening her chest. "What do we do?" she managed to ask, her voice shaking.

Samuel’s eyes met hers, filled with determination. "We need to evacuate, now," he said. Then, raising his voice to address everyone, he called out, "Everyone, listen up! We’ve received a serious threat. We need to calmly and quickly get off this ship."

For a split second, there was silence. Then, as Samuel’s words sank in, Marcos quickly sprang into action, his voice booming over the commotion as he began organizing the crew for evacuation.

Fear painted their faces, but they moved with urgency, helping one another and gathering in groups to head toward the lifeboats.

Zinnia stood frozen, her heart thundering in her chest. Samuel squeezed her hand, pulling her back to reality. "Stay with me," he said, his voice unwavering. "I won’t let anything happen to you."

Together, they joined the stream of people evacuating the ship, the tension in the air as thick as the crashing waves below.

The once lively film set had become a scene of fear, and as they moved to get everyone to safety, the only thought that echoed in Zinnia’s mind was that they were racing against time.