The wind picked up once more after Rayne fell asleep. What had started as a strong gust now escalated into a full-blown hurricane, shaking the trees with great force, causing branches to get torn off.
The old maple tree that sheltered Rayne’s camper did its best to fight the fierce winds but ultimately couldn’t hold out.
A large branch, the size of a small tree, snapped off and fell directly on top of Rayne’s camper, caving in the roof.
Rayne, caught entirely by surprise, was struck by the impact, her body slamming against the broken interior, knocking her unconscious. The jagged edges of broken metal and glass tore into her arm, causing her to bleed from different parts of her body.
The caved-in roof of the camper allowed the fierce rain inside, soaking everything. The picnic table outside had long been blown away.
If it weren’t for the large tree branch pinning the camper down, it would have also been blown away in the fierce hurricane winds.
---
Julian was currently sitting in the mini laboratory in the bunker, engrossed in his work. He was tinkering with a prototype of an advanced pistol, making a few final adjustments. He wanted to improve it so that he could give it to Rayne as a thank-you gift.
He had spent the last three days practically locked in the lab and was unaware of the environmental changes happening outside.
When his stomach finally growled in protest, Julian decided to set the pistol down and go find something to eat. On his way to the communal kitchen, he ran into Noah, who was making a fresh cup of coffee.
"Hey, boss! Up late today again? How’s the progress going on that pistol?" asked Noah curiously. freeweɓnøvel.com
"Yeah, it’s almost done. I’m on the final tweaks, and it should be finished. Any news from Damien’s side?" asked Julian as he opened the refrigerator to pull out a yogurt.
"Nothing from Damien’s side due to the hurricane that’s been going on for a few days," replied Noah nonchalantly.
"No news yet. There’s been a strong hurricane going on for a few days, so we haven’t heard from him," Noah replied casually, sipping his coffee.
Julian froze, then whipped his head over to face Noah.
"What? A hurricane? Why didn’t anyone tell me?" His voice was sharp, with a mix of confusion and rising panic.
Noah blinked in surprise, not expecting such a strong response from Julian. "You’ve been so absorbed in that lab of yours, we didn’t want to bother you."
Without another word, Julian tossed the yogurt onto the counter and sprinted toward his room, his heart pounding in his chest. His body moved on instinct, as he grabbed his raincoat in a frantic rush.
Startled and curious about Julian’s agitation, Noah followed him, feeling uneasy.
Julian ignored Noah and ran out of the bunker into the fierce winds of the hurricane. Ian noticed the two of them running out with panicked steps and quickly followed suit.
When Julian stepped outside and saw how bad things were, his heart raced. The only thing he could think about was if Rayne was okay. He wasn’t sure if her small camper would be able to brave the storm.
He increased his pace, running as fast as he could while avoiding flying twigs and leaves. Noah and Ian were confused as to why their boss ran as if he were possessed, but they quietly followed him anyway.
Julian ran for what felt like a lifetime. His panicked heart was beating out of his chest from the anxiety.
"Hold on, Rayne, everything will be okay," he said as he began to run back to the bunker, carrying Rayne in his arms.
"Hang on, Rayne. Please, just hang on," he whispered, clutching her closer as he started to run back toward the bunker. His legs burned with exhaustion, but he couldn’t slow down—not now.
Noah took off with Julian while Ian stayed back to see if he could salvage anything from the camper to bring back with him.
Julian ran without stopping, ignoring the fatigue of his body. Noah tried his best to keep up but still lagged behind Julian a little bit.
Once they made it to the bunker, Julian brought Rayne straight to the small medical ward and laid her down on the bed.
"Get Anna down here now!" yelled Julian, ordering Noah. Noah nodded and turned to find Anna, the medic from Alpha Team.
A few minutes later, Julian heard hurried steps, and Anna walked in, followed by Noah.
"Please save her," ordered Julian, his voice laced with concern.
Anna nodded and turned to examine Rayne with a serious expression. She began by connecting Rayne to an IV drip to restore some of the lost fluids.
"I’m going to need to do a blood transfusion. She’s lost a lot of blood. I’m guessing she’s been in this state for a few days," Anna said, walking over toward the back of the medical ward to grab a blood test kit.
Julian nodded. He didn’t want to leave Rayne’s side until he was sure she was out of danger.
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