Chapter 2 - The Extraction
The cool night air stung my bruised cheeks as Gabriel carried me down the driveway toward a sleek, matte-black tactical SUV idling with its headlights off. The rear door slid open instantly, revealing a brightly lit interior equipped like a mobile trauma unit.
"Get her on the stretcher, slowly," a woman’s voice commanded. It was Dr. Sarah Jenkins, an emergency combat medic and Gabriel’s most trusted teammate from his Ranger days.
Gabriel laid me down with gentle precision, his jaw clenched so hard the muscles ticked in his cheek. He looked at the bruising swelling across my collarbone and the dark mark on my face, and his eyes darkened with a cold, terrifying fury.
"How is she, Sarah?" Gabriel asked, his voice deceptively calm—the kind of calm that preceded a hurricane.
"She’s in shock, blood pressure is elevated, but let's check the baby," Sarah said, quickly applying gel and a portable ultrasound Doppler to my abdomen.
The vehicle sped away into the darkness, leaving the suburban nightmare far behind. For a few agonizing seconds, the only sound inside the SUV was the hum of the tires on the asphalt and my own ragged breathing. I gripped Gabriel’s tactical vest, my knuckles turning white.
"Gabriel... please tell me..." I whispered, choking back a sob.
Then, the cabin filled with the most beautiful sound in the world: a strong, steady thump-thump-thump-thump.
"Heartbeat is rock solid," Sarah sighed with relief, smiling down at me. "Your baby is a fighter, just like her uncle."
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Tears of pure, overwhelming relief spilled over my eyelashes. Gabriel wrapped his large, scarred hand around mine, his thumbs gently wiping away the dampness from my cheeks.
"Rest now," Gabriel said softly, though his eyes burned with a lethal promise. "They thought nobody was coming for you. By the time I'm done with them, they'll wish I hadn't."
