Chapter 279
Chapter 279
But the next second, an even stronger fear spread through her entire body.
Bradley, who was lying on top of her, wasn't moving.
"Bradley... Bradley!"
She struggled, calling his name with a hoarse voice.
She tried hard to move her body, her hands trembling as she pushed him, but her palms touched something warm and sticky.
In the dim, broken light of the warehouse, she saw clearly the bright red covering her hands.
Blood! So much blood!
It kept seeping from Bradley's back, quickly soaking through his tactical vest.
"No... please no..."
A wave of panic hit her instantly, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Her hands shaking, she reached to check his breathing—it was so faint it terrified her.
"Bradley! Wake up! Look at me! Don't fall asleep!"
She cried out, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
She tried with all her strength to move him, wanting to see his wound, wanting to stop the bleeding, but his body was so heavy, pinning her down completely.
"You're going to be okay... hang in there... I'll get you out of here right now... we'll go to the hospital..."
She rambled incoherently while uselessly trying to cover his still-bleeding wound with her hands.
Images from the past few months flashed through her mind uncontrollably.
He had reached out to help when she was most helpless, stood firmly by her side when she was attacked by public opinion, did everything he could to help her find clues about her mother, worked tirelessly outside when she was under investigation...
And just now, at this critical moment, he had used his body as a shield without hesitation.
He wasn't Arthur.
He wouldn't always be absent when she needed him, wouldn't watch coldly when she was misunderstood, and would never always choose Emily over her.
Looking at his continuously bleeding wound, her heart felt a pain she'd never experienced before—worse than the impact of the explosion.
"Bradley... please... don't die..."
She leaned close to his ear, sobbing uncontrollably. "I still have so much to tell you... I still need you for so many things... you can't just leave me like this..."
Just as she was about to be swallowed by despair, the person beneath her suddenly moved.
Then, a barely audible groan reached her ringing ears.
"E... Elaine..."
Bradley opened his mouth, each word seeming to take all his strength.
Elaine jerked in shock, hardly believing her ears. "Bradley! You're awake! How are you? Don't talk, save your strength, I..."
"I'm... okay..."
Bradley forced out a few words, trying to prop himself up to give her some space.
But this movement seemed to drain all his remaining strength—his body felt nailed in place, unable to lift at all.
Blood loss was making his vision blur, his strength rapidly draining away.
He could feel the warm blood still flowing out, taking his consciousness with it.
"Don't move! Please don't move!"
Elaine cried out, her heart breaking.
She knew he was forcing himself—his body had clearly reached its limit.
"Bradley, hang on! Our people... outside..."
Elaine struggled to support Bradley's heavy body while anxiously looking toward the warehouse door.
The gunfire was still intense, but she could clearly hear the enemy's suppression getting fiercer.
Their hiding spot, though temporarily blocking most bullets, had been exposed and wasn't safe.
If the enemy just adjusted their angle slightly, or threw a second grenade...
Despair crept into Elaine's heart bit by bit.
She watched Bradley's face grow paler, felt his body temperature fading, blood still gushing out, staining her trembling hands red.
"Bradley... Bradley look at me... don't sleep... please..."
Her voice choked, tears blurring her vision.
Bradley's breathing was weak. He vaguely heard Elaine's tearful calls. He wanted to say something to comfort her, wanted to try moving again, but his body felt like lead—he didn't even have the strength to lift a finger.
Darkness was slowly invading his vision.
Was this... how it would end?
Dying in this dark, abandoned warehouse, leaving her alone to face danger...
No, he wasn't willing to accept this.
But reality seemed to be sliding toward the worst outcome.
The gunfire outside was getting sparser, their side almost silent, while the enemy's footsteps seemed to be getting closer...
Just as Elaine was about to be completely consumed by despair, ready to fight to the death to win Bradley one last chance at survival—
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Around the warehouse, completely different gunfire suddenly erupted!
Then came intense crossfire and the enemy's caught-off-guard screams!
Reinforcements?
Elaine's heart jumped, almost stopping.
She held Bradley tightly, listening intently.
The battle outside reversed instantly!
The new firepower was exceptionally fierce and accurate, with perfect coordination—clearly a well-trained professional team.
The enemy, who had the upper hand moments ago, was caught completely off guard by this sudden attack, their resistance quickly crumbling.
The intense firefight lasted less than two minutes before the gunfire gradually died down.
"Mr. Lewis! Ms. Brown! Are you in there?"
A strong voice came from the warehouse entrance.
It was Bradley's people!
A ray of hope instantly lit up Elaine's tear-soaked eyes.
She practically screamed: "Here! We're here! Bradley's injured, badly! We need emergency care!"
Before she finished speaking, several powerful flashlight beams shone in, quickly finding their location.
Several fully armed men rushed in. Seeing Bradley's injuries, their faces all changed.
"Quick! Stretcher! Tourniquet! Call an ambulance!"
Bradley was soon transferred to a car outside, which raced along with sirens blaring.
Upon reaching the hospital, Bradley was pushed straight into the operating room.
The red light above the operating room door lit up.
Elaine stood outside, still covered in Bradley's blood.
Despite her disheveled state, she stood straight.
She stubbornly stayed by the door, eyes fixed on that red light.
Time passed second by second, each second feeling like a century.
After what seemed like forever, the operating room door finally opened.
The lead surgeon came out, his expression serious.
"The patient has multiple lacerations on his back and shoulder, severe blood loss, but fortunately no major organs or spine were damaged. Moderate concussion, needs close monitoring. The surgery was successful, vital signs are stable, but he needs to be observed in the ICU for twenty-four hours."
Elaine's tense nerves finally relaxed. Her legs went weak and she almost couldn't stand, quickly grabbing the wall for support.
Bradley was transferred to the ICU.
Elaine changed into visitor's clothing and stood guard outside the room.
Through the glass, she could see him lying quietly in the hospital bed, connected to various monitoring equipment, his face still pale.
She kept watch like this, not sleeping all night.
Even later, when the nurse persuaded her to rest on the family waiting chair nearby, she barely closed her eyes and slept very restlessly.
In her dreams, everything was chaotic.
Sometimes it was the moment of the warehouse explosion, Bradley tackling her, his silhouette shattering in the firelight.
Sometimes he lay in a pool of blood, not responding no matter how she called.
Sometimes he woke up but looked at her with unfamiliar eyes, then turned and walked away, getting farther and farther, and no matter how she chased, she couldn't catch up...
Each time, she would wake with a start, drenched in cold sweat.