Page 101 of The Ghost of Rage's War

“Gotta pity that man,” Cowboy muttered, shaking his head.

“Yeah,” Drake agreed.

He gave himself a minute and then dragged himself up. Drake walked out from behind the barrier andbegan checking the dead. Grey was already removing weapons and putting them in a bag.

Drake bent to pick up a couple of knives and handed them to Serenity, who was following close on his heels.

There was a shout and Drake blinked as a Fang surged upwards with a gun in his hands. Everything happened in slow motion, and it would be forever etched in his brain.

“Dad!” Serenity screamed, lunging forward. The Fang turned to her and fired. Drake’s head twisted to follow the trajectory of the bullet and opened his mouth to scream.

Not his baby girl!Flashed through his mind. There wasn’t time to react.

A body came out of nowhere and flung itself at Serenity. A brother jolted, and Drake saw the bullet tear through his back as he took Serenity down. The Fang was yelling as he turned and aimed at Drake. Drake stared down the barrel of the gun, and even as he moved, he knew it was too late. He was dead within the asshole’s sights.

Someone hit him hard, and a sticky wetness splashed all over his face. Drake fell with a brother on top of him. Gun shots echoed as Drake realised his brothers had opened fire.

For a few seconds, he lay there as blood poured over him, and then he pushed his brother off.

“Klutz!” Drake yelled as he shoved a hand over Calamity’s throat, where the bullet had sliced through his left carotid artery.

“Klutz!” Drake nigh on screamed a second time. Blood pumped from under his palms.

“Don’t you dare die, son!” Texas roared, landing on his knees.

Klutz pushed him out of the way and lifted Drake’s hand. “Shit! Get my supplies!”

Klutz grabbed something in Calamity’s neck and held his hand steady.

“Hurry the fuck up!” Klutz yelled.

Drake saw Klutz was holding the end of the carotid artery. “I need emergency transport now! I can’t clamp it for too long before I cause a stroke or heart attack. We have maybe fifteen minutes to get him to a theatre.”

Gunner dropped to his knees in front of him, opening Klutz’s medical pack.

“Get a line in him, and I need a clamp… that there. Get me a haemostatic bandage out. That one, there! Texas, get your hand here and fucking press. If you ease up, he’ll die.

“Calamity, I know this is going to hurt, you gotta stay still, brother. We ain’t gonna lose you, so keep the fuck still. Any movement will force blood up and out and also risk the increase of a stroke or heart attack. Blink once if you understand me.”

Drake watched as Calamity blinked once.

“I need help!” Serenity screamed. “Dad!”

“Go!” Klutz yelled as he carried on working on Calamity.

Drake rushed over and saw Serenity bending over another brother. Fuck! He gasped as he noticed her hand in his chest, squeezing something.

“Klutz!” Drake roared again as Grey stared up at him with sightless eyes. Klutz looked up and winced.

“Maintain pressure on Calamity and keep those fluids going.Do not let him move!” Klutz demanded and grabbed hisbag andraced over to Grey.

“I’ve got a pulse. Serenity, keep going,” Klutz ordered, checking Grey over.

“The bullet tore through him, leaving a hole, which is why I could get my hand in,” Serenity said coldly.

Drake recognised his daughter had completely switched into her street mode. She was robotic and cold. He didn’t know what to do; two brothers were critical, and Serenity needed him. Klutz began working even as Ace shouted for immediate transport. A helicopter flew overhead as Klutz worked on stabilising Grey.

A second copter drew near and landed close by. Paramedics ran out with a backboard.

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