Chapter 33 Adrian
Dawn broke and Elara woke to find Adrian burning with fever against her chest.
"Kai," she whispered urgently. "Something's wrong with Adrian."
Kai touched Adrian's forehead and his expression went grim.
"He's burning up, probably caught something from exposure or the water we drank from the stream."
"We need to get him to a doctor," Elara said.
"The town is our best option," Kai said. "Can you carry him?"
"I'll carry him if I have to crawl," Elara said and lifted Adrian who whimpered but didn't wake.
They started down the hillside toward the distant town, moving as fast as they dared through the fog that both concealed them and made navigation difficult.
Adrian's fever climbed higher and he started shaking, his small body convulsing against Elara's chest.
"He's having a seizure," Kai said and took Adrian from her, laying him on his side. "We need to get him help now."
"How far to the town?" Elara asked.
"Five miles maybe," Kai said. "And that's too far at this pace."
"Then we take a risk," Elara said and pulled out the satellite phone. "We call for emergency extraction."
"That'll give away our position," Kai said.
"Adrian is dying," Elara said. "I don't care about our position."
She dialed emergency services and explained the situation—child with high fever and seizures, lost in the mountains, and they needed immediate airlift.
The operator took their coordinates and said a medical helicopter would arrive within thirty minutes.
Elara ended the call and looked at Kai. "Your father will know where we are the moment that helicopter reports our location."
"I know," Kai said. "But you're right, Adrian comes first."
They moved to a clearing where the helicopter could land and waited while Adrian's condition worsened, his breathing becoming shallow and his lips turning blue.
"Stay with me baby," Elara begged. "Please stay with me."
The sound of helicopter rotors grew louder and Elara felt relief until she realized there were two helicopters approaching—one with medical markings and one that was unmarked.
"That's not good," Kai said.
The medical helicopter landed first and paramedics jumped out, rushing to Adrian and immediately starting treatment while asking rapid-fire questions about symptoms and timeline.
The second helicopter circled overhead and Elara saw armed men inside preparing to rappel down.
"We need to go with the medical helicopter," Elara said to Kai.
"They won't take us," Kai said. "Only the patient and one guardian."
"Then I go," Elara said.
"And leave me to deal with whoever's in that helicopter?" Kai asked.
Before Elara could answer, the paramedics lifted Adrian onto a stretcher and rushed him toward their helicopter.
"Ma'am, are you the mother?" one asked.
"Yes," Elara said.
"Come with us, we're taking him to County General," the paramedic said.
Elara looked at Kai one more time. "Please don't die."
"I'm not planning on it," Kai said. "Please do take care of our son."
She nodded and ran to the medical helicopter and climbed in as it lifted off.
And through the window she saw the second helicopter landing and men in tactical gear jumping out, surrounding Kai who stood his ground with his hands raised.
"No," Elara whispered but they were already too high to do anything.
The flight to the hospital took fifteen minutes and Adrian was rushed to emergency care the moment they landed, doctors swarming him with equipment and medications.
Elara tried to follow but a nurse stopped her. "You need to wait in the family room, we'll update you as soon as we know something."
"I'm not leaving him," Elara said.
"Ma'am, you'll be in the way," the nurse said firmly. "Let us do our job."
Elara was escorted to a small waiting room where she paced for an hour before a doctor finally appeared.
"Your son has a severe bacterial infection likely from contaminated water," the doctor said.
"We've started antibiotics and he's stable but he'll need to stay for observation."
"Can I see him?" Elara asked.
"Once we move him to a room," the doctor said. "Give us another thirty minutes."
The doctor left and Elara collapsed into a chair, feeling relieved but she shill feeling scared until she felt nauseous.
Her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number;
"We have Kai Silvercrest in custody. If you want him alive, bring Adrian to the following address within 24 hours."
An address in the borderlands followed, and Elara's blood went cold because she knew exactly whose address it was—Mandivus Swathi's compound.