Chapter 188 Please, Let Me See Him
Zaid had no choice but to focus on the enemies in front of him, keeping them from chasing Alexander down.
Alexander let out a low grunt, teeth clenched, pressing his hand against the steady flow of blood.
He turned his head and locked eyes with Armando.
Armando had been grinning--smug, victorious--but that look died the second Alexander's gaze hit him.
In that instant, Armando felt it. Pure, cold killing intent.
The kind of look that made even a man like Armando, who had seen his share of violence, go still.
Maybe it was because Caroline was waiting. Maybe that was why Alexander only gave his father one icy glance before his feet kept moving.
He used the momentum of his sprint to roll behind a massive oak tree.
His back hit the trunk. He gasped for air.
The pain in his left shoulder was blinding. Blood poured between his fingers, soaking his palm.
He couldn't stop. Stopping meant dying. And Caroline was waiting for him.
That thought cut through the fog in his mind like a knife.
Alexander's eyes hardened. He ripped a strip of fabric from his shirt, bit down on one end, and wrapped it brutally tight above the wound. A crude tourniquet--just enough to slow the bleeding.
"Over here! Move!" Zaid finally broke through a chokepoint and sprinted toward the oak tree, barking at Alexander.
Alexander sucked in a breath, forced himself to ignore the tearing agony in his shoulder, and bolted from behind the tree, heading straight for the back wall of the estate.
The firefight raged behind him, but he didn't look back.
Armando's furious shouts faded into the distance. Alexander's legs pumped faster, but his vision kept darkening at the edges.
"Sir, you've lost too much blood! We need to stop and treat that!" Zaid, who had barely managed to catch up, shouted in alarm.
He scanned their surroundings, voice urgent.
"Sir, we have to stop!"
"Shut up... keep moving..."
Alexander's voice was faint, drifting, but his feet didn't slow.
He couldn't stop. Not even for a second.
His father's men could catch up any moment. The chaos at the estate wouldn't hold them forever.
And worse--he had no idea if something had gone wrong on the island.
He had to reach the old dock. Get on that helicopter. Get back to Caroline.
Alexander didn't know how long he stumbled through the darkness, crashing through underbrush, until the trees suddenly opened up.
The old dock.
Liam, who had escaped earlier, had already brought the helicopter. He stood beside it now, waiting.
When he saw Alexander staggering toward him, blood still seeping from his shoulder, Liam's face went pale. He rushed forward.
"Sir, are you alright?!" Liam grabbed him before he could collapse.
"Your wound is too serious. We need to get you to a hospital!"
"No." Alexander's voice was a rasp. "Back to the island. Now."
"Sir!" Liam looked at him, stricken.
"Now. Go!" Alexander's voice cracked like a whip.
Liam knew better than to argue. He dropped his gaze.
"Yes, sir. We'll leave immediately."
"Kenna, please, I'm begging you... I can't wait anymore..."
Caroline had lost count of how many times she had pleaded with Kenna.
She was a wire pulled taut, stretched to the breaking point. One more ounce of pressure and she would snap.
And that final straw? The bad news that might come from Alexander's side any second now.
She sat on the edge of the bed, hands twisted together, her swollen belly rising and falling with each ragged breath.
Twelve days.
She had lost track of how many nightmares she had had.
Every time, she dreamed of Alexander covered in blood, collapsing in front of her, calling her name with his last breath.
Every time she woke, she was drenched in cold sweat, heart pounding so hard she thought it would burst.
Kenna stood in front of her, conflict written all over her face.
She knew how bad Caroline's condition was. She knew how important Alexander's instructions had been before he left.
But looking at the woman in front of her--about to give birth, wasting away from worry, on the verge of total collapse--Kenna's resolve crumbled piece by piece.
"Ma'am, please don't get upset. You need to take care of yourself. For you, and for the baby."
Kenna stepped forward, reaching for Caroline's cold, trembling hands. Caroline jerked away.
"Take care of myself? How am I supposed to do that?!"
Caroline's emotions exploded.
She shot to her feet.
The sudden movement made her vision swim. She swayed, barely catching herself on the nightstand.
"He's been gone twelve days! Not a single word! Does that sound normal to you?! Kenna, tell me--does that sound normal?! Something's happened to him! He's in danger! I have to go find him! I have to! Or I'm going to lose my mind! I swear, I'm going to lose my mind!"
The words broke on a sob. Tears flooded down her face.
"Ma'am! Please, don't do this! You need to calm down!"
Kenna lunged forward, terrified, wanting to hold her but afraid of hurting the baby.
"Please, ma'am, don't hurt yourself or the child."
"Then help me! Kenna, help me!"
Caroline grabbed Kenna's arm with both hands, tears streaming.
"Help me leave this place. Help me get back to Grandhaven... please... I just need to see him. Just once. Just to know he's safe... Kenna, I'm begging you..."
She was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. Her whole body shook in Kenna's arms.
Kenna's heart finally broke.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and squeezed Caroline's freezing hands.
"Alright... ma'am, please stop crying. I'll do it. I'll find a way to contact someone outside, or arrange for you to leave the island. But you have to promise me--you'll calm down. You'll rest. You'll save your strength. If you keep going like this, we won't be able to do anything."
Hearing Kenna finally give in, Caroline latched onto her like a lifeline.
She nodded frantically, tears pouring even harder.
"I promise... I promise, Kenna. I'll listen to you. Just go--please, go figure something out..."