Until she knew exactly how many enemies there were, Claire wasn't going to make a reckless move.
She didn't want to die, and she certainly didn't want to be smuggled out of the country!
If she really ended up in Sundara, her fate would be entirely out of her hands.
Refusing to betray her country would mean a fate worse than death.
In that case, dying a quick death would be preferable.
Therefore, her only option was to save herself!
She didn't have a single tool on her, and even her clothes weren't her own.
Attacking a fully grown man-especially a trained, highly alert operative meant she only had one shot. If she failed, there wouldn't be a second chance.
The man lifted Claire out of the dumpster.
He began stuffing her into a heavy black plastic bag.
While he was distracted, Claire cracked her eyes open to assess her surroundings.
Thank God, there was only one of them!
She spotted a traffic cone near his feet. It was the only weapon within reach.
The moment he turned around, she grabbed the cone and swung it hard at his head.
The man clearly hadn't expected her to be awake.
He took the hit but didn't immediately go down.
Claire's groggy state meant there wasn't enough force behind the blow.
"Son of a bitch!" the man cursed in his native tongue.
Hearing the language of Sundara made Claire's expression turn even colder.
She kept a tight grip on the cone and ruthlessly battered him with it.
A vicious look flashed in the man's eyes as he reached for the gun at his waist. Claire's pupils constricted when she saw the weapon.
Before he could aim, she lunged at him.
While a man typically overpowered a woman in sheer strength, Claire wasn't just trained in martial arts; she was a master of medicine.
Every strike she landed targeted his pressure points.
As they wrestled for the gun, she jammed her fingers into a nerve cluster on his elbow, sending a shock of numbness down his arm that nearly forced him to drop the weapon.
But in that split second, he used every ounce of his remaining strength to pull the trigger.
Dane and Silas's team had already tracked them down. At the sound of the gunshot, they sprinted toward the noise like their lives depended on it.
"Claire!"
Dane reached her first.
He had run so fast he was practically a blur.
Claire
The collapsed to the ground.
t had grazed her Cand
Could feel the feat where clipped her hair.
Another gunshot rang out, and warm blood splattered across her face.
It was the operative's blood.
Silas had taken the shot.
Dane slid to his knees beside her, nearly tripping over himself.
It was the first time Claire had ever seen him look so frantic.
But she didn't have the energy to offer any words of comfort.
The desperate struggle had drained every last drop of her strength.
"Claire! Are you hurt?" Dane knelt in front of her, his voice trembling.
Dane hadn't lived a sheltered life. He had faced his fair share of hardships.
He had even brushed with death on multiple occasions.
But he had never felt a terror like this.
"I'm fine," Claire whispered, her voice hoarse. She hadn't had a drop of water in hours.
Combined with the intense physical exertion, she simply didn't have it in
ber to
speak any louder
Seeing her unfocused gaze, Dane frantically checked her over for wounds.
Only when he was absolutely certain
letn't been shot did he certain
finally
let out a shaky breath.
He scooped her up into his arms, and she weakly looped her hands around his
neck.
She truly had nothing left to give, so she let him carry her.
Holding her tight, Dane walked with steady, determined steps.
"I'm taking you to the hospital to get checked out."
As for the bleeding operative from Sundara, Silas hauled him away.
The moment Dane rescued Claire, Dewitt and the Churchill brothers received the
news.
"Get in my car. We're going to the hospital," Norris said, throwing the door open. Dane initially wanted to refuse, but Claire gave a faint nod.
"You're in no condition to argue, and your driver isn't here. Let's just go with Norris."