Free Kings and Crowns: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 2) by Chris Yee Page B

“Well-known for his many achievements.”
    “Thank you for the kind words,” Dr. Brant said. He turned to Saul. “So this is my patient?”
    Greene nodded. “Yes, it is. Please tell me you have good news.”
    “Let’s all sit down and we can discuss the situation we have here.” They all took a seat except for Greene, who stood near the back with his arms crossed. “I have been looking at your file for some time now. It is a very interesting case. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I suppose it’s because of your draining powers. You see, when the bullet entered your body, it punctured your lung. Without your powers, you would have died within a day. However, you manage to heal yourself and survive. Unfortunately, the rapid healing process managed to push the bullet in even further. It is now completely encased by your lung. You may have bought yourself some time, but it is slowly killing you.”
    “One of the Crown doctors looked at my wound,” Saul said. “He said I’d be fine.”
    “I’m afraid the Crowns medical resources are nowhere near as sophisticated as ours. Our body scanners are top of the line.”
    “Is there a way to treat it?” Greene asked. “Can you remove the bullet?”
    “Not without killing him. I’m afraid it’s just too dangerous to operate. And draining will only worsen the situation.” He paused. “I know it’s hard to hear, but your days are limited. That bullet will slowly dig deeper into your lung and eventually it will kill you.”
    Saul’s eyes filled with tears. “There has to be something you can do.”
    “The best I can do is inject you with one of the formulas we’re testing. Theoretically, it should strengthen the tissue in your lung and slow the process. It’s only a temporary solution, but it should buy you a month or two.”
    “You’re absolutely sure you can’t operate on him?” Greene asked.
    “If I do, he will most likely die on the table.”
    “Very well.” He looked to Saul. “I suggest you take that injection. It will give you time. Perhaps enough to bring Simon down.”
    The tears poured down Saul’s face. He wiped the snot with the back of his hand. “That bastard is going down.”
    As the others gathered around to comfort him, Rupert approached Greene. “I have a quick question for you. Where is Fred, my falcon? They said they were fixing her up. Is she better yet?”
    “They’re still tending to her. Be patient. She’ll be better in no time.”
    “I would like to check in on her. Can I see her?”
    “I’m afraid we have a strict no-visitor policy in our medical sector. You will not be able to see her until she has fully healed.”
    “How long will that be? The nurse told me it would only be a day or two.”
    “It may be longer. We had to reconstruct part of her skeleton. The recovery time is quite long. But don’t worry. She is in good hands.”
    Dr. Brant reached into a drawer and pulled out a syringe. “I have the injection right here. We can do it right now if you want. It’s quick and painless.”
    Saul nodded. “Do it.”
    Dr. Brant stuck the needle in his arm and pushed the fluid in. “This will buy you some time. Use it wisely.”
    “We will make the most of his time,” Greene said. He looked at Saul. “We’ll take you around. You’ll meet as many people as possible. Make the biggest impact that we can with the time you have left. You will make a difference. When your unfortunate end comes, people will know your name. You will be remembered as the hero of the City. The one who saved us all. The one who brought down Simon Hedcrown.”
    With those words, Saul looked back at Greene. And I’m going to take you down too, son of a bitch . He smiled. “Let’s do it.”

SEVENTEEN
    THEY RETURNED TO the briefing room. The group, along with other Spire employees, filled the seats at the table. Greene stood at the front.
    “One of our undercover agents has reported plans for a second attack.” He pointed to the