Chapter 4 - The Extraction
The crash cart slammed into the knees of the lead assassin, sending him stumbling backward. Victor didn't hesitate. He raised his weapon and fired twice. The silenced thwip-thwip barely registered over the blaring fire alarm, but both intruders dropped to the linoleum, neutralized.
Clara stood frozen, her chest heaving, staring at the dead men on the floor of her hospital.
"Clara," Gabriel’s voice broke through her shock. He was leaning heavily against the wall, his face pale with pain, blood beginning to seep through his surgical dressings. "Are you hit?"
"No," she gasped, rushing forward to support his weight. "You’ve torn your stitches. We need to get you back on the bed."
"No," Victor interrupted, checking the corridor. "There will be more of them. We have to move, Boss. Now. The hospital is compromised."
Gabriel looked down at Clara. "You have to come with us. If they know you fought back, they will torture you to get to me."
"I can't just leave!" Clara protested, panicked. "My life is here!"
"Your life ends tonight if you stay," Gabriel stated bluntly. He didn't wait for her to argue. Despite his agonizing injury, he wrapped a heavy, protective arm around her shoulders. "I swear on my life, Clara. I will keep you safe. But you have to trust me."
With the fire alarm still screaming, they slipped down the emergency stairwell. Victor led the way, clearing the path, while Clara essentially carried half of Gabriel’s weight. Her scrubs were soaked in his blood by the time they reached the underground parking garage.
A black armored SUV was waiting, the engine idling. Victor threw open the back door. Clara helped Gabriel inside, climbing in right behind him. The tires screeched against the concrete as Victor floored the accelerator, smashing through the parking barrier and bursting out into the freezing November night.
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Clara looked out the tinted window as Mercy General faded into the distance. In less than a week, her entire reality had been ripped apart. She wasn't just a nurse anymore. She was a fugitive, riding shotgun with the most dangerous man in New York.
And as Gabriel’s hand reached out in the dark, his strong fingers tightly gripping hers, Clara realized she wasn't entirely terrified.
