Falling in Love : I love you, Today and Forever

While Preston and Ryder kept a watch around them, Ian and Valerie evacuated all the people in the garden, sealing it completely and avoiding anybody from entering or leaving. Their actions only served to pique everyone's curiosity and whispers erupted in the hospital. Some overly excited people even posted about all that was happening, spreading the news far and wide even though they had no idea about what exactly was happening.

Ian clenched his fists, unable to believe how his hospital was being pulled into a scandal and he cursed Jared black and blue in his mind. If not for him, he would not have faced such a day.

Valerie sensed the fury bursting through him and she gave him an apologetic look which Ian ignored. All he wanted was to finish the task and catch hold of the criminals before it became too late. He even ordered his men to aid Valerie and her team to finish it before he lost his cool.

"I hope you will not make a mess, Deputy. I do not want any more accidents and more patients to deal with. The virus is not just any normal one. I have studied the reports and once it is released, it spreads like wildfire. Even the people who are not in this place might be affected once it infects the air. Please be careful."

Although Ian's voice was commanding and Valerie felt the pressure on her, she understood the meaning behind his words. He was neither worried about himself, nor about what she or her team would do to the criminals. He was more about how disastrous the virus would be once it was released into the air, and this thought alone made her capture the severity of the situation.

Her expression changed completely and she narrowed her eyes, a glint of resolve passing through which Ian did not miss.

"I promise, Doctor Davis. Other than the criminals here, you will not have any other patients to deal with from our end." 

Her confidence made Ian smile and he believed her. He nodded at her lightly and took a step back, allowing her to take the reigns and do the job she was brilliant at.

Although Ian wanted to help her, he trusted her skills and her intelligence, and he knew that with her around, the criminals would not be able to execute their plan. Valerie had made a mistake once, she would not be repeating it.

Moreover, it had been years since he last killed someone or wielded a gun and he intended to keep it that way as long as possible. He watched Valarie enter the lawn, taking careful steps while Ryder and Preston surveyed from the side. Ian's men were already in position and they were just waiting to find out where the criminals were hiding.

The garden was huge. But there were not many hiding places available for them. The criminals would be found soon and Valerie had given orders to shoot at sight if needed. So, neither man cared about the danger they would be facing. This was nothing compared to what they had faced in their lives.

The lawn had less lighting compared to the other parts of the hospital. But that did not stop Ryder and Preston from inching closer to where the criminals could have hidden from them. They could not waste any more than they already did as they had no idea how far the criminals were and what was the progress of the plan. 

Valerie had barely taken a step forward when one of Ian's men fired a bullet. A loud groan and a thud followed immediately after. She glanced behind her but could not find the man who had shot one of their enemies. 

Secretly praising their marksmanship, she continued walking further with her hand stretched forward while she held onto her gun tight. She reached one of the possible hidden corners in the lawn and the moment she turned to her left, she heard a bullet being fired. 

Valerie had no time to even duck. She could barely manage to save herself. Yet, the bullet had pierced through her bicep. Not caring about it, she fired immediately after, glaring hard at the man who had managed to harm her, killing the man right away.

Bullet sounds filled the air and one by one, all the members of the criminal gang were taken down. With the help of Ian's men, Valerie and her team managed to catch hold of everyone but the girl.

"Find the girl." Valerie gnashed her teeth as she tolerated the pain. Her hand had turned numb with pain and her sleeve was drenched with blood. But she endured it for the mission was yet to be completed. Until they captured the girl and seized the canister from her, the situation was still perilous.

The men started to follow her orders immediately. But the girl was nowhere to be seen. It was as though she had vanished into thin air completely.

Valerie's heart sank when she could not find her and for a moment, she did not know what to do. 

'How could she have escaped from here?' She wondered. 'It is impossible to do so with Ryder guarding the entrance. She must be somewhere here. But where?'

Valerie looked around her. But she could not find her anywhere. The lawn was devoid of anybody else other than her team members and Ian's men. She bit her lip as worry filled and she glanced at Ryder who was already looking at her. He shook his head at her, making Valerie curse under her breath.

'If she is not in the lawn...' Valerie subconsciously raised her head only for her eyes to widen in fear. They had only been targeting the hiding places in the lawn, completely forgetting another possibility. 

"Shit," She cursed loudly, garnering Ian's attention on her and he rushed out immediately to find out what she was staring at, only to freeze in his feet. The girl he had seen on the laptop screen was now on the third floor as she stood outside one of the window sills with the canister in her hand.

"How did she get there?" Valerie mumbled, unable to believe what she was seeing. 

Ian was in no way interested to find out how she had got there. He was more worried about what would happen if the girl let go of the canister.

But even before he could think of a plan to stop her, the girl jumped from her position with the canister in her hand, stunning everyone who was watching her.