Free Broken Lives: A Tale of Survival in a Powerless World (Broken Lines Book 4) by James Hunt Page A

tourniquet.”
     
    Billy rewrapped the sheets, twisting them with one of Fay’s spare magazines she had on her.
     
    “He’s lost a lot of blood,” Billy said.
     
    “He’s going to make it.”
     
    Billy grabbed her arm, but she shoved him off. She wasn’t going to let him die. She couldn’t let him die. This was her job. If she failed, then the kids downstairs wouldn’t have anyone.
     
    The thought crossed her mind that the kids might be better off without him alive, but she didn’t want to believe that. She knew Jung was only a shadow of the person that he used to be, but she didn’t think that all of him was gone.
     
    She finished another thirty compressions and when she put her mouth over his and blew Jung coughed.
     
    “He’s breathing. Jung, can you hear me? Jung?” Fay asked.
     
    Fay shook him, but there wasn’t any other sign of life. She checked his breath one more time to be sure.
     
    Billy placed his finger on Jung’s neck and held it there, still as water.
     
    “It’s faint, but it’s there,” Billy said.
     
    “Thank God.”
     
    “We need to get fluids in him fast. Do you have any first aid equipment stored anywhere?” Billy asked.
     
    “Whatever I found is in my room. You stay here with him. I’m going to go check on the kids and then bring back some supplies. What room did you put the kids in?”
     
    “One twenty-three.”
     
    “Okay, I’ll be back.”
     
    Fay headed down the staircase and when she made it to the bottom she stopped. Her head felt dizzy, her legs turned to jelly. All of the adrenaline rushed out of her. She grabbed the staircase rail to steady herself and shut her eyes. She focused on gathering her strength and when she felt sturdier she found room 123.
     
    Jung Jr. and Claire were huddled together on the bed. Both of them looked frightened when she came inside, but as soon as they recognized her they both ran to her.
     
    “You guys all right?” Fay asked.
     
    Neither of them would let go of her legs. Fay reached down and picked up Claire. She grabbed Jung Jr.’s hand and walked to the bed.
     
    “Did you guys hear me yelling?”
     
    Jung Jr. nodded his head. Claire wiped her eyes. Fay didn’t know how she was going to explain their father’s condition. She knew Claire wouldn’t understand, but Jung Jr. was probably old enough to grasp it.
     
    “Your dad’s…”
     
    She trailed off. The two faces looking at her had lost their mother, their father was trying to take himself out of the equation, they were stuck in a place incredibly far away from their home, and there wasn’t any guarantee that they’d ever see it again.
     
    Fay figured they had other family somewhere. She just had to keep them safe long enough to find them. That would be the first thing she’d speak to Jung about when he woke up. She wasn’t going to take any more chances with him.
     
    “Your dad isn’t feeling well,” Fay finally sputtered out.
     
    “Is he dying?” Jung Jr. asked.
     
    “No, he’s going to be fine,” Fay replied.
     
    Jung Jr. buried his face in her stomach and Claire started to play with her hair. Whatever Jung was going through Fay had to snap him out of. She couldn’t let these kids lose the only parent they had left.
     

Day 23 (Cincinnati)
     
    Both Colonel Cadogan and Sergeant Blake escorted Mike to Bram’s apartment. He was patted down three different times: once before he entered the building, once before he was allowed in the elevator, and one more time before he was ushered onto Bram’s penthouse floor.
     
    Mike stepped out of the elevator and was escorted into Bram’s living room.
     
    The furniture was simple, but modern. There were a few paintings and pictures placed on various walls. The wood floors were shined and glossy.
     
    There was a table set with fine silverware and a four-course meal. The meal consisted of ham, mashed potatoes, salad, fruit, bread, and green beans, all with steam rising from the plates. Mike let