Chapter 163: A Way Out
Kaylee, guided by instinct, tore open his shirt. The bullet had struck near his heart, but whether it had actually hit his heart, she had no way of being sure. However, the two bloody holes kept oozing blood, dampening her hands. The priority at the moment was to stop the bleeding. Otherwise, given the rate at which Jeremiah was bleeding, he would soon be drained of blood.
Kaylee hastily removed one of her garments, tearing it into strips. Without a second thought, she did everything she could to staunch one of the bleeding wounds. Afterward, she made up her mind to do something major.
“Jeremiah,” she began, her voice steady and resolute, “one of the bullets didn’t go in too deep. I want to remove it. I’ll do my best to keep you alive. I’ve been through this before. I’ve been shot, and I’ve even pulled out my own bullets. All you need to do is bear the pain.”
Sensing that Jeremiah had given a slight nod, Raylee wasted no time and commenced the “surgery.” Only twenty minutes had passed, yet it felt like an eternity. Without sterilization or tools, Raylee relied solely on her sense of touch to remove the bullet that wasn’t deeply embedded.
“Alright, Jeremiah, are you still with me?” she asked, her voice laced with anxiety.
Jeremiah was completely drenched, but one couldn’t tell if it was sweat or blood. However, one thing was certain: enduring the extraction of a bullet without anesthesia was a pain beyond what any ordinary person could bear. He managed to endure it all. Upon hearing Raylee’s question, he responded in a low, husky voice.
Raylee was panting heavily, on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. She had given it her all and done everything within her capacity. Yet she had no way of assuring that Jeremiah would survive. There was still another bullet lodged within. A wound infection or the possibility of being recaptured were all risks that would cost Jeremiah his life. She couldn’t even ensure her own safety, and now she still had to drag the seriously injured Jeremy along.
Nevertheless, Jeremiah was incredibly tough. Despite enduring such intense pain, he didn’t fall unconscious. Instead, his awareness heightened. He grasped Kaylee’s hand, asking weakly, “Why did you save me? In such a critical moment, you should have prioritized your own safety. Besides, I once nearly took your life. You shouldn’t show mercy to your enemies.”
Kaylee could feel how weak he was. In response, she seized his hand and held on tightly.
“Jeremiah, I understand better than you that being kind to your enemies is detrimental to oneself, but you’re not my enemy! I still wanted to marry you, to use you to deal with the Goodridge family. You once told me that you’d be my strongest support. So, you can’t die. You must keep your promise to marry me.”
“I think… I might not make it,” said Jeremiah, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I don’t care, I need you alive!” Raylee’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
When one despised someone, they wished them dead and yearned to tear them to pieces. Previously, Jeremiah had tricked her into going to East Aploth, nearly tormenting her to death. It made her hate him to the…
She detested the bitter taste of such heart-wrenching goodbyes.
Jeremiah managed to muster a faint smile. “You’re such a fool. I regret my past actions now. If I could turn back time to the day we met, I would have certainly done things differently.”
Raylee whispered through her sobs, “It’s not too late even now. As long as you’re alive, as long as you can come back home with me. We can rewrite our future together! Jeremiah, do you know? Since my release from prison, I’ve never shed tears over any man. But you, you’re the worst, you’re the only one who made me cry. Moreover, if you were to die, I would be killed back home. Your father and sister would definitely hold me accountable.”
“Don’t cry…” Jeremiah tenderly wiped her tears away with his blood-stained hand, letting out a bitter laugh. “Both of us are fellow inmates from the District Nine Prison. Fate won’t defeat us so easily. Even if it costs me my life, I’ll ensure your safety. Remember well what I’m about to say next.”
“What do you want to tell me?” “Take your time, I’m listening,” Raylee earnestly stared into his eyes.
She had assumed he wanted to utter his last words, but what transpired was beyond her expectations. With a barely audible voice, Jeremiah said, “I have a chip hidden in a safe deposit box at Mayton Bank in Totresh. The password is…”
“What’s the purpose of that chip? Do you want me to help you retrieve it?” Raylee asked hurriedly.
Jeremiah gradually explained, “No, it’s for you. If you manage to make it back alive, give the chip to my dad. After seeing the chip, he’ll likely not blame you for my death. If you can’t make it back home, find a way to relay this information to General Mosby. He won’t give you a hard time.”