Chapter 237: AN ATTACK IN THE HOSPITAL (2)
Lyle should have received a phone call by now, but the fact that Sam had not contacted him meant there was something not right.
He ordered one of the men to go to the building and check the situation there, but he also didn’t come back after half an hour. There was no phone call, either.
Therefore, Lyle decided to make a phone call, and someone answered it on the second ring. It was Hazel Leighton; Lyle recognized her voice almost immediately.
"What do you mean by this, Lyle?" Hazel asked him in an even tone, addressing him casually as if they were friends. "Your trick is so outdated. Whose plan is it? Kyle’s? Deryl’s?"
Lyle furrowed his brows. "May I know where my men are?" He got out of the car and signaled his men to follow him.
"They are fine. But not for long." Lyle could imagine Hazel shrugging her shoulders. "Whatever you think you are going to do, stop it, and back down. This is a hospital. You’re going to attract unnecessary attention. That’s not how you operate, right?"
Hazel didn’t want to face Lyle. She didn’t hold a personal grudge against him. More so, they had gone on a few missions together, and Hazel was quite fond of him as a partner. Olivia would be devastated if something happened to him.
But if the situation forced Hazel to take an action and choose between Ranon and Lyle, the answer was easy.
"You talk as if you know us."
"I know you more than you think. Go back, Lyle. The mission is spoiled. Try another time."
Lyle didn’t answer, but he hung up the call and instructed the men who came with him to disperse to the location that Lyle had told them to go to.
Meanwhile, Hazel stared at the phone in her hand, his expression darkened. She knew that he was coming.
"Have you called Nolu?" Hazel asked Yara, who stared at the two unconscious men on the floor.
"Yes, they are on their way here. Nolu also informed Mr. Lucian about this." Yara stood up and then approached Hazel. "Don’t do anything rash. Let’s wait until they are here."
Hazel looked out of the window; the sky had turned dark without the moonlight. The lights from the passing car were flickering on the wall.
"They will not make it in time." Hazel cursed herself because she didn’t take precautions that the McKennas would make a direct approach after she took Ranon out of the Central hospital.
"This is a hospital; what can they do?" Yara frowned. The hospital was very silent, especially on this floor.
But then, the alarm blared, indicating a fire had been detected.
"This. They will do this." Hazel shook her head. She had expected this, but Lyle’s attempt to finish his job looked very desperate. She guessed Kyle had put pressure on him, because it was not his style at all. "Stay here, Yara, and don’t leave. I will take the two of them with me."
Hazel was talking about the two bodyguards that she placed right outside the door.
"Shoot anyone who tries to make their way in." Hazel could hear the commotion in the distance, and she knew Lyle was already on the move.
"Mrs. Leighton, I should be the one who goes outside," Yara said with urgency. "Should we call the police?"
"No, not yet." Hazel wanted to avoid involving the authorities for as long as possible. Besides, this was not something the police could do. "Stay here." Yara didn’t know these people or how they operated. It would be suicide to send her out.
However, Yara was filled with dread at the thought of Hazel going outside, especially considering how dangerous the situation was. She tried to persuade Hazel again.
Yes, Yara had seen how she fought. She could take care of herself, which was surprising, because when she accepted this assignment, it was mentioned that Hazel didn’t have any knowledge of self-protection.
Even so, Yara’s assignment was to protect her.
"Their target is Ranon, not me," Hazel said impatiently. She glanced at the gun on Yara’s waist. She regretted not bringing hers because she had left home in a rush. "Stay here. If something happens to Ranon, you will be responsible for that." This time, her voice was firmer. She couldn’t waste her time arguing with Yara.
After saying that, Hazel went out of the room. She took the two bodyguards with her and went to the elevator.
People took the emergency stairs in case of fire, but this fire was only a distraction.
"Are you sure about this, Mrs. Leighton?" Cam asked. He was a lanky man who dressed casually, wearing jeans and a white shirt. Lucian told her that he had a skilled aim. She hoped it wouldn’t escalate to that.
"Yes."
There were two ways to access this floor: the elevator and the emergency stairs.
A nurse approached Hazel and reassured her not to panic; the staff was checking the alarm. She would inform her if they needed to evacuate.
"But I think it’s only a false alarm. It happens since this is an old building." The nurse gave Hazel an apologetic look, and Hazel assured her that she understood.
"Thank you," Hazel said, and let her leave to inform the other patients on this floor.
Meanwhile, Hazel took Cam with her toward the elevator, while Dunts would take the emergency stairs. She didn’t want him to do anything; he only paid close attention to the people who came from there and approached Ranon’s bedroom.
Hazel felt uneasy in this situation. She leaned her back against the wall and closed her eyes. She opened them when she heard the sound of the elevator’s door opening.
There was only a nurse who greeted Hazel. She saw the nurse in the reception area, and she went in the opposite direction from where Ranon stayed, so she didn’t pay any mind to her.
But the second time the elevator’s door opened, it was Lyle with one of his men. He was wearing a baseball cap and holding a plastic bag, which Hazel was sure was where he kept his gun.
He lifted his head, and if he was surprised to see Hazel there, he didn’t show it.
"Go back, Lyle," Hazel said. She straightened her back when Lyle and his man stepped out of the elevator. "Your plan is busted. The only reasonable thing to do is to back off and make another plan."
"I don’t take advice from you, Mrs. Leighton."
"Is this how you repay me after I saved you and your sister?" Hazel asked bluntly. She looked Lyle in the eyes, but the movement of his hand was still within her periphery. Once he moved to take his gun, she would, too.
"This has nothing to do with you," Lyle said in a cold tone. "I will let you go; just walk away, and this will be over soon." Lyle glanced at Cam, who was standing next to Hazel, and assessed him. In his eyes, Hazel was not a threat.
Hazel scoffed when she heard that, even more because she knew what Lyle was thinking right now. "You are going to kill my husband, and you said this has nothing to do with me? If I killed your sister, would you say the same thing?"
Lyle was livid when Hazel mentioned Olivia; he glared at her viciously. He always had a soft spot for his sister.
"I warn you, go back now."
"Go, Mrs. Leighton. I will not harm you."
Hazel chuckled when she heard that. The audacity of this man...
And that was when Hazel saw the movement. Lyle reached into the plastic bag he was carrying, but Hazel was faster. She kicked the bag away from his reach. After that, everything became a blur of movement.
Cam followed as he attacked the man who came with Lyle, while Hazel faced Lyle.
It surprised him that Hazel could fight well, and it caught him off guard for a few moments before he regained his bearings.
Hazel had the advantage because she was familiar with Lyle’s moves, but her body was still not as agile as River’s; she had just given birth a few months before and started her training.
Fighting Lyle was different from fighting those men in the gambling house. They were just thugs, while Lyle was a trained combatant.
It knocked the air out of her lungs when Lyle kicked her stomach. It hurt!
When Hazel fell, she quickly flipped her body and extended her arms to soften the impact while delivering an upward kick that struck him in the neck, forcing him to back away.
Lyle’s eyes widened, and he coughed a few times, which gave Hazel an advantage.
Ignoring the pain in her stomach, she charged forward while Cam was still handling the other man. Hazel hoped Dunts wouldn’t get into trouble on his end.
"Go back now, Lyle," Hazel said calmly. "Before someone sees this."
Lyle didn’t listen. He charged forward again, but this time, it was fueled by anger in him. He was upset because he knew this plan was lacking. Kyle was not a good strategist, but he couldn’t say so.
But even so, he wouldn’t listen. Kyle would blame Lyle for not carrying out the mission successfully. The thought that he had to listen to his lecture annoyed the hell out of him.
He attacked Hazel without holding back, and it overwhelmed her.
After exchanging a few blows, Lyle finally managed to get Hazel in a chokehold.