Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 314

Chapter 314

Author’s POV:

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The metallic stench of blood filled the helicopter cabin. Ethan’s hands trembled slightly as he assessed the damage. Jade’s body was a battlefield–bruises painting her skin in violent shades of purple and blue, lacerations crisscrossing her arms, and worst of all, the gaping wound on her shoulder where bone gleamed white through torn flesh.

“Everyone out,” Ethan commanded, his voice cutting through the rhythmic thrum of the rotor blades. His security team exchanged concerned glances before filing out toward the cockpit, leaving him alone with Jade.

With a swift motion, he tore open her blood–soaked shirt. The sight made his stomach clench–raw flesh, exposed bone, and far too much blood. Ethan forced himself to breathe through his mouth, avoiding the coppery scent that threatened to overwhelm him.

“You’ll be okay,” he whispered, unsure if he was reassuring her unconscious form or himself.

His training kicked in as he reached for the emergency medical kit. With practiced movements, he cleaned the wound, injected a hemostatic agent, and began wrapping her shoulder with compression bandages.

Jade’s eyes fluttered open briefly, disoriented and clouded with pain.

“Cold,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the helicopter’s noise.

Ethan immediately draped his suit jacket over her, followed by an emergency blanket from the kit. Her breath came in shallow, ragged gasps, each exhalation carrying the unmistakable scent of blood–internal bleeding, just as she’d warned him. Before he could say anything more, her eyes closed again, consciousness slipping away.

“Get us to a hospital,” he barked into his comm. “Now!”

The helicopter touched down on the hospital’s rooftop landing pad with a gentle bump. Medical staff rushed forward with a gurney as Ethan carried Jade’s limp form from the aircraft. The wind from the still–spinning rotors whipped around them as he carefully laid her on the stretcher.

“Female, late teens, multiple trauma, internal bleeding, shoulder wound with exposed bone,” Ethan rattled off as they rushed toward the elevator. “Blood type O negative.”

The trauma team worked quickly, hooking Jade up to monitors and starting an IV as they descended to the emergency department. Ethan found himself pushed back as they wheeled her through double doors marked “Authorized Personnel Only.”

“Sir, you need to wait out here,” a nurse told him firmly.

One of his security personnel approached from the hospital entrance, his face grim. “Mr. Haxton, we have a problem.”

“What now?” Ethan’s voice was ice.

“Unidentified helicopter following our flight pattern. Intelligence suggests Shadow Organization operatives.”

“Fuck, Ethan hissed.

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He paced the waiting area, mind racing. The Shadow Organization wasn’t just any adversary–they were professional killers with resources that rivaled small nations. With Jade incapacitated, she was the perfect target.

“I need security at every hospital entrance. Then call NYPD, get patrol cars at every major medical facility in the city. Make it look like

we’re everywhere at once.”

The security officer nodded, already on his phone.

“And get our decoy teams ready. Same helicopter on multiple hospital rooftops. I want them confused about where she actually is.”

Within an hour, Shadow operatives began appearing at hospitals across the city–some disguised as visitors, others as medical staff. The elaborate shell game bought them precious time as surgeons worked to save Jade’s life.

Four agonizing hours later, a doctor emerged from the operating room, looking exhausted.

“She’s stable for now,” he informed Ethan. “But she needs complete bed rest. No movement whatsoever.”

Their reprieve was short–lived. His security team’s intelligence network reported Shadow operatives systematically searching every hospital in the eastern district.

“They’ve cleared two hospitals and several clinics already,” his head of security reported. “At this rate, they’ll find this location within hours.”

Ethan watched Jade’s unconscious form through the ICU window. They’d stabilized her, but moving her risked reopening her wounds.

Inside the hospital, disguised Shadow operatives moved methodically through corridors, checking each room. Some wore white coats, granting them access to restricted areas. They searched room by room, floor by floor, drawing closer to Jade’s location.

“Prepare for immediate transport,” Ethan ordered. “And get those decoy vehicles ready.”

By the time the operative reached Jade’s room, the bed was empty.

In a hospital across town–one already “cleared” by Shadow operatives–Ethan carefully settled Jade into a private room. He pulled the curtains closed and turned on the lights.

The anesthesia wore off quickly. Jade’s eyes opened, alert despite her weakened state.

“They found us,” she stated rather than asked, her voice raspy.

“They did. But we’ve moved. This hospital’s been searched already,” Ethan explained.

Jade’s eyes darted around the room, assessing exits and vulnerabilities. “Not for long. They’ll double–back.”

“The doctor says you can’t be moved again.”

‘I can,” she insisted.

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“Your helicopter’s compromised,” she continued. “They’ll have rigged it. Basic assassination technique–let the target board their escape vehicle, then detonate.”

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Throughout the city, identical black SUVS departed in different directions, creating an impossible trail for the Shadow operatives to follow. As predicted, they returned to previously searched locations, only to find their quarry had vanished.

By nightfall, Jade’s condition deteriorated rapidly. Her body burned with fever, fighting infection despite powerful antibiotics.

Ethan pressed a cool cloth to her forehead, watching her toss restlessly in the hotel bed. He’d abandoned the hospital altogether, opting for The Pinnacle Luxe’s penthouse suite–a location with security he could control completely.

“Come on, Jade,” he murmured, replacing the cloth with a fresh one.

Her fever raged through the night and into the morning. When it finally began to break, Ethan nearly collapsed with relief. She regained consciousness briefly, eyes focusing on him.

“Hospital?” she asked, looking around in confusion.

“Hotel. Safer.”

She nodded weakly before slipping back into unconsciousness.

Ethan continued his vigil, sending away his security team to avoid drawing attention. In the isolation of the penthouse, he methodically cared for her–changing bandages, monitoring vital signs, and administering medication on schedule.

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