Prologue

"God… no…!" Alex cried, struggling to form the words as his head smashed against the window. His car had just crashed. The only thing left for him just dashed to pieces right before him.

His hands dropped off the wheel and fell uselessly to his sides.

The car abruptly came to a stop, and the silence that followed was almost as horrifying as the crash.

Alex tried to move, to grab for his phone, or anything else, but his body refused to.

He couldn't feel his legs and didn't even know if they were still there.

Fear gripped him, panic surged through him. Through the pain and fear, Alex heard the sound of fast footsteps splashing through the rain. A figure appeared from afar, rushing toward him.

"Hang in there, buddy," the guy said in a panting voice as he pushed open the car's door. He moved quickly but gently to remove Alex from the damaged car.

The stranger's hands trembled as he checked Alex's vital signs and attempted to stabilize him.

"Hey, I'm Sam. Can you hear me? Hey… hang in there…"

Sirens blared in the distance become louder with each passing second. As the ambulance approached, the stranger looked up, relief filling his face.

Paramedics arrived on the scene, taking over from the stranger and quickly placing Alex onto a stretcher. "He's in shock," one paramedic stated.

"We need to get him to the hospital, now." The ambulance rushed through the downtown streets, flashing lights and blaring sirens.

Sam's attention followed the flashing red lights as they drove along the rain. His clothes were completely drenched but he didn't appear to care. All that concerned him was that he was able to stand by Alex and he hoped he would survive.

His hands hung at his sides, still shaking with adrenaline. He didn't move, didn't flinch, just watched until the ambulance rounded the corner and went into the darkness.

Inside the ambulance, the paramedics struggled to keep Alex. "Severe spinal trauma," one of them said, looking at his other colleague. "Prepare for emergency surgery."

At the hospital, hours passed in medical jargon and fast instructions trying to save Alex. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the lead surgeon took a step back, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"The damage to his spine is really deep," he stated gently to his crew.

He stood by Alex's bedside, with his face clearly screaming sadness. "You have sustained major injuries. Your spine has been injured as a result of the accident." He paused. "I am afraid... you are paralyzed from the waist down."

The word struck like a sharp pain in his heart taking away Alex's strength.

He attempted to move his legs, hoping they would respond, but they stayed stubbornly motionless.

"No," he muttered, barely audible. "No, this can't be happening." Fear, anger, and doubt raced through him.

He clenched his hands, feeling the cool sheets beneath his fingers, but that did little to nothing in calming the horror gnawing at his insides.

Tears stung the corners of his eyes, but he blinked them away, refusing to let them fall. "Why?" He coughed, his voice breaking. "Why did this happen to me?"

Alex's mind raced, as pieces of the accident flashed before his eyes. "Some people were chasing me. I know it. I was being trailed. Whoever caused this, I will make them all pay for it. I am Alex Thompson," he vowed.