The Gifted Medical Warrior

Name your price.

The sound of the gunfire roared on. Sparks flew as bullets ricocheted off the furniture and the steel-reinforced walls. The guards, though they were outnumbered, fought with desperate resolve to protect their master.

I crouched low, shielding Ethan's body with my own, the incision on his wrist still dripping with dark, tainted blood.

I whispered, "Stay with me, Ethan. Just hold on."

Finally, the intruders’ shouts became fewer. One by one, they fell to Magnus and the remaining guards. The last of the attackers was a wiry man with a scar on his face. He threw down his weapon and bolted for the door.

"Take him alive!" Magnus said.

But the man didn’t make it far. He was shot down by the guards just feet from the exit.

Magnus wiped blood from his forehead, he surveyed the c*****e.

He turned to me and asked about Ethan's condition, "Is he okay?"

" Yes" I said. " But I need to finish the treatment now."

Magnus first hesitated, then nodded. "Okay".

I hurriedly grabbed a clean cloth to stem the bleeding from Ethan's wrist. I carefully repositioned the needles on his chest, I focused on the deepest energy blockages.

As I worked, Ethan’s breathing began to get steady. The bluish tint on his lips faded, it was replaced with a faint flush of color. His pulse became stable.

“He’s better now,” I said, looking up at Magnus.

Magnus approached the last surviving intruder, who was now bound and kneeling on the floor by the guards.

He bent to the man and said, "Who sent you?"

The intruder laughed, there was blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "You think you’ve won? This is just the beginning.

"We’ll see about that," Magnus said. The guards dragged the intruder away for interrogation.

The room grown quiet as the tension from the earlier attack began to fade. Magnus, the guards, and the beautiful woman stood on edge, their eyes were flicking between me and Ethan’s still form on the couch. Ethan’s chest was rising and fell in a steady rhythm.

Then, a low groan escaped his lips.

"Ethan?" Magnus stepped closer.

Ethan eyes became opened. Slowly, he sat up, rubbing his eyes. Without a word, Ethan pushed himself off the couch and stood to his full height. For a man who had been teetering on the brink of death moments ago, he now carried himself with startling strength and vitality.

He looked around the room, his gaze landing briefly on each of us. Ethan bent down, placed his palms flat on the floor, and began doing push-ups.

One.

Two.

Three.

The guards present exchanged stunned glances.

By the time Ethan reached ten, the beautiful woman gasped softly, and looked surprised as her hands flew to her mouth. Magnus, who had been watching silently, now stepped forward.

“Twenty-one, twenty-two,” Ethan counted aloud, his voice growing stronger with each repetition. Finally, he pushed himself upright, wiping his hands on his shirt as if nothing had happened. He looked up.

“Ryder,” he said, turning to me, “you’ve saved me. You’ve done what I thought was impossible.”

Before I could respond, Ethan pulled me into a firm hug. His grip was strong, it wasn’t just gratitude I felt radiating from him, but genuine joy.

“You’re not just a healer,” Ethan continued, stepping back to look me in the eye. “You’re really a medical warrior, just as I've heard. I owe you my life.”

“I only unlocked what was already there,” I said. “The energy that flows through you, it’s powerful, but it had been blocked for years. Your body was fighting against itself. I don't think I deserved your flattering Eagle"

Ethan laughed. “You’re a gift sent to me, I’m grateful.”

He placed a hand on my shoulder, his tone suddenly serious, “this means I’m ready to face whatever comes next.”

The room became silent again. Whoever had sent the attackers earlier, they weren’t done. They would still come back and now that Ethan was recovering, the stakes had only grown higher.

“Magnus,” Ethan said, turning to his loyal bodyguard. “Increase the security level. Triple the patrols. And I want every detail you can get on those intruders.

Magnus nodded. “Consider it done.”

“Magnus,” Ethan said. “Pay for my medical fees. Open the vault if you have to.”

Magnus didn’t hesitate. He reached into his coat and pulled out a sleek black card, holding it out toward me.

“This is a black card. It has three million dollars,” he said.

I smiled faintly. “I'm grateful, but I won’t take it.”

Magnus’s face hardened instantly; he looked like I’d just insulted his honor. “You’re refusing three million dollars? What kind of man does that?”

“Not the kind you’re used to,” I replied calmly to him.

Ethan laughed; his laughter broke through the atmosphere. “Magnus, relax. It’s not about money for him. I think Ryder’s here for something else entirely.” He paused,“ you’ve never met a man who’d turn down three million without blinking, have you?.”

Magnus grunted, stepping back, but his glare lingered. “Whatever he is, he’s still just a man. And if he tries anything—”

“Enough, Magnus,” Ethan interrupted sharply. “You still don’t understand who you’re dealing with, do you? Ryder George isn’t a man you threaten. He is a disciple of a medical saint”

Magnus stiffened, clearly unused to being rebuked, but he said nothing.

Ethan continued, “Even if you bind his hands, blindfold him, leave him defenseless—it wouldn’t matter. Ryder could still take you down. You might be my most capable fighter, but against him, you wouldn’t last ten seconds.”

Magnus clenched his jaws, his pride visibly stung.

Ethan turned back to me, “Now, Ryder, since you’ve made it clear you’re not here for money, let’s hear it. What do you want? You’ve saved my life, so name your price.”

I leaned forward, locking eyes with Ethan. “You knew about the secret mission the Valkyrie Unit went on?”

Ethan’s face darkened slightly. “I’m aware of it,” he said, his voice was low. “I heard it was compromised from the inside. Many souls were lost.”

I nodded. “The name of the person who leaked the information was Marcus Kade.”

Ethan tilted his head slightly. “Marcus Kade,” he repeated.

“I’m not certain he was the one,” I admitted. “But here’s what I do know: I trained every single man in that unit. I knew their strengths, their weaknesses, their habits. But Kade? He was different. He was transfer to the unit. And after that mission, he disappeared. No trace, no explanation, just gone. I’ve tried to track him, but it’s like chasing a shadow.”

Ethan’s gaze sharpened, and he glanced at Magnus, who stood nearby. “Marcus Kade?” Ethan said, almost to himself. “You want me to find him?”

“I need you to find him,” I corrected. “Can Three days be enough.”

Magnus’s face hardened, his expression showing a flicker of indignation. “Three days?” he repeated, his tone edged with disbelief. “Do you even realize where you are? This is Casa del Dragon Villa. We’re the best in intelligence gathering across continents. To imply we’d need three days…”

Magnus didn’t finish; He looked totally annoyed. What he didn’t realize was that I’d phrased it like that on purpose. I needed to provoke him, to light a fire under him.

“A day,” he said, turning his sharp eyes toward me. “I’ll have the information within a day. Not because of your doubt, Ryder George, but because we’re the best.” He went out to have a phone call.