Not A Small Town Girl (Danielle and David) novel Chapter 214

"We need to get out of here." David muttered, cradling Danielle's unconscious form in his arms as he strode toward the exit. Seeing the girl's battered body, his heart clenched. The weapons used against them must have been poisoned—if only he'd gotten there sooner, she wouldn't be in this condition.

"Call the doctor at Blackpool Village," he ordered Nathan in a low, urgent tone.

"Yes, sir." Nathan didn't waste a second. There was no signal in this cave, so he pulled out their specialized phone to contact the doctor, emphasizing the need for extra hands—three unconscious bodies meant they needed all the help they could get.

The group navigated through the winding paths, carefully heading out of the cave.

Aran waved his hand. "Get into cover." The words had barely left his lips when gunfire erupted from all sides. There was nowhere to hide near the entrance.

"Inside the cave, now! It's a trap!" Aran growled, his eyes flashing with fury. "We break out and take care of them. No time to waste. If Danielle has any more setbacks..."

He couldn't finish the thought. With David's current regard for her, the mere idea was unimaginable.

"You too," Jaden ordered his bodyguards.

"Understood." Aran and his team retaliated in a flash, the sound of bullets filling the air.

Their attackers outnumbered them, but they were skilled. Aran quickly located one of their hidden positions and, like a force of nature, plunged his knife into the chest of an assassin, ending him instantly.

The remaining killers reacted with lethal speed, firing at Aran, but he smirked, undeterred. "Who sent you?"

With one swift dodge, he avoided a bullet, then side-kicked an assassin squarely in the temple, sending him crashing to the ground. Another kick followed, this time straight to the chest.

"Who sent you?"

"You want to know? Go to hell." One of the assassins drew a knife and lunged at Aran.

In a blur of motion, Aran shot him through the head before the knife could strike, his hand steady, his mind sharp. They didn't have much ammo left. This had to be over soon.

Inside the cave, Vivian's face was pale with fear. The sounds of gunfire outside were deafening. It felt like a battlefield.

"Who are these people?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Assassins," Jaden replied coldly, a wave of murderous intent seeping into his words. He had no idea who had sent them or what their intentions were, but these killers were becoming a major inconvenience.

Xavier lay in his arms, pale and weakening. David could feel his breathing slowing, and with every shallow breath, his irritation grew. He wanted nothing more than to storm out and tear these bastards apart.

Danielle suddenly coughed up blood, startling Howard and Vivian.

"Danielle, what's happening? Hang in there, I'll get you the antidote. Whatever it takes, I will save you."

Howard's gaze locked on Danielle's pale face, his eyes never leaving her for a second. He feared the worst—that she might slip away at any moment.

David's eyes narrowed. "Poison?" he asked, already suspecting it but needing confirmation.

"Yes, she's been poisoned. Or perhaps it's better to say she was abandoned as a child in the wilderness with poison coursing through her. The symptoms have been reappearing over the last few days, and this time... it's much worse."

Vivian grasped Danielle's hand tightly, tears streaming down her face as she wept.

David's face darkened. "What poison is it? Do you know?"

"Luna Stalk," Howard said, his voice thick with emotion.

Danielle coughed again, blood spilling from her lips. Her face was ghostly pale, as if she were slipping away before their eyes.

David's heart clenched, his panic momentarily flashing across his face before he concealed it. He took a handkerchief and wiped the blood from her mouth, trying to stay calm. He had never heard of "Luna Stalk" before, but from the way Howard spoke, it sounded like something incredibly lethal—if there was a cure, she would have had it by now.

Vivian, desperate, muttered to herself, "We need to get to Whitepool Village. The village chief said they can cure any poison there. Danielle, wait for me. I'll be back with help, I promise."

"We've taken care of them, sir. Let's go." David nodded.

*****

In the Blackpool Village, inside the village chief's home, a group of the best doctors in the country huddled around Danielle.

Ethan wiped his brow, his gaze focused on the unconscious girl. "I've seen her before... She's highly skilled in medicine, but this poison... I can't identify it."

David's eyes were cold as ice. "Spit it out."

Ethan hesitated but finally spoke, fear in his voice. "Mr. Charrington, Miss Darling seems to have only minor injuries... some cuts and bruises. But... if I'm not mistaken, she's been poisoned. I can't say for sure what it is, though."

David turned his gaze to the other doctors. "And you?"

One of them spoke up cautiously. "I know of a poison that matches her symptoms... but it's not an exact match."

The doctor hurriedly explained. "It's called Luna Stalk. Anyone poisoned by it doesn't survive more than five years. And when the poison activates, it triggers uncontrollable killing instincts, loss of all five senses, and eventually, excruciating pain until death."

He paused, his voice dropping lower. "It's... it's considered extinct. There's no known antidote."

The room seemed to freeze as the words hung in the air. The doctors, now fully aware of the gravity of the situation, nervously glanced at each other. They could feel the weight of David's gaze burning into them.

Howard, unable to stand the tension, stepped forward. "Where did you learn about this poison?"

The doctor, shaking, said, "It was in an ancient book... but the antidote—it doesn't exist. I swear, I'm not lying."

The other doctors exchanged uncomfortable glances. They were all worried—not just about Danielle's fate, but about the wrath of Mr. Charrington.