“DARIUS! DARIUS! ARE YOU OKAY?!” ESMERALDA shouts, her voice laced with panic and desperation.
The force of the explosion is so intense that it blows out the window, sending shattered glass flying through the air.
A thick cloud of dust engulfs my surroundings, impairing my vision and leaving me uncertain of the prince’s fate.
Every cell in my body, and the voice in my headset, screams at me to retreat, but damn it, I really need that money!
Ignoring the risks, I charge forward like a madwoman.
“What the hell happened, Schwa?!”
“Abhi, locate the client for me, I can’t see a shit in this damn dust!”
“He hasn’t moved from his chair. Five metres from you. 1 o’clock,” Abhi relays.
I sprint at full speed towards the sofa, but crash into it, knocking the wind out of my lungs and sending me tumbling over it.
“SCRMBLGSTKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!” I groan in pain, struggling to catch my breath.
“Are you okay?”
“You didn’t tell me there were obstacles!” I curse under my breath, frustration boiling within me.
“DARIUS! DARIUS!” That bitch continues to call out, her voice desperate.
“Shut the fuck up, stupid woman! He’s dead, okay!” I spit in response.
Ignoring her screams, I push myself to my feet and lean over the chair, scanning the prince’s face for any signs of life. Carefully, I place my hand under his nose to feel for his breath.
Relief washes over me as I realize he’s still alive, albeit unconscious. Burnt plastic fragments protrude from his flesh, and a large piece the size of a hand is deeply embedded in his left shoulder.
With a surge of adrenaline, I grab his other arm and sling it over my shoulders, hoisting his legs into my arms.
“SCRMBLLLL, I CAN’T BREATHE!” I yell out, the weight of the unconscious prince straining my body.
As I race towards the exit, my path is abruptly halted by the blinding spotlight of a helicopter.
“What the hell is that now?” I exclaim, frustration evident in my voice.
“I’m afraid you have a new obstacle,” Abhi warns.
“A fucking helicopter!” I growl in annoyance. “Abhi, you fucking brat, why didn’t you tell me there was a helicopter?!”
“I’m not omniscient, you know!” Abhi retorts defensively.
“Look at your fucking monitor!” I snap back, my anger mounting.
The sound of a machine gun echoes through the air, followed by a hail of bullets that narrowly miss my super-thin body. “Thank you, my diet!” I laugh in the rumbling.
Finally reaching the front door, I deliver a swift kick that sends it flying open. “AAAAAAAAAA MY FOOT!!” I cry out in pain.
Panic and urgency override any consideration for the old man’s body, as I toss it aside into the hallway, rolling amidst the ammunition.
I slam the door shut, the sound of bullets hissing against it.
Taking a moment to catch my breath, I reflect on the miraculous explosion that saved both the prince and me from certain death at the hands of the helicopter.
In that moment, I say a silent prayer for those Chad and Stacy, annoying as they were, who are likely no longer with us. They may have been irritating, but I didn’t hate them…
“Abhi, we need to administer first aid to the old man quickly,” I say, my voice urgent.
“Get here with him as soon as possible. I’ll prepare the equipment. I’ll also fill you in on everything I’ve found out about this man,” Abhi responds.
Wait, there’s someone I’m forgetting…
Oh yes, that girl! Where is she?!
Panting heavily, I slump against the wall and drop down onto my butt.
“Man, I really screwed up big time. It’s actually kinda funny,” I think to myself, finding a glimmer of humour amidst the chaos.
I had planned to take a breather there for a while before heading home, but my moment of respite is abruptly interrupted by the ringing of my phone.
With a sigh, I slowly fish it out of my trousers, already dreading the name that will appear on the screen. As expected, it’s her calling.
“Uh, hello?” I answer, mustering as much nonchalance as I can.
“Yo, bitch, what the fuck? Why did you bail on your work?” her voice screeches through the receiver.
“Are you spying on me?” I retort, irritation seeping into my words.
“You bet I am, and for good reason! I can’t believe you left just when things were getting interesting!” she taunts.
“Well, I’m not some warmonger like you. Did you even see that damn helicopter?” I scoff, genuinely perplexed by her expectations.
“What are you, a baby? It’s just a helicopter,” she dismisses my concerns with a mocking tone. Seriously, what does she expect me to do about it? “And what about your partners?”
“They’re not helpless babies, alright? They can probably handle a freaking helicopter,” I snap back, my frustration mounting.
“Listen up, I’m not here to play games with you. If you dare show up without our pay, I’ll beat the shit out of you and dump your sorry ass in the river. Got it?”
How does one even respond to such a chilling threat? The scariest part is that she might actually do it. “I… I think so,” I stammer, my voice betraying a mix of fear and resignation.
“Good! I really hope your partners aren’t all dead, for your sake. Otherwise, you’ll be on the hunt for a new home,” she sneers before abruptly ending the call with a cold click.
BIP.
"Nyanyanya, you’ll have to find a new home~"
That fucking bitch! Why is she wasting her time spying on me instead of doing her own damn job? It’s because of her that we’re still neck-deep in debt!
I shake my head in disbelief, realizing that my grandiose and dramatic introduction in the first chapter has turned out to be a colossal letdown. All that buildup for nothing.
There’s absolutely no way I’m walking back into that mess. If I’m going to make it out of this alive, I’ll need wheels.
Conveniently, a motorbike sits within reach, waiting in this impasse like a gift from the heavens.
“Well, thank you for this stroke of good fortune,” I mutter with a wry smile. It’s time to put my burglar skills to good use.
I carefully carry the prince in my arms as I step into the elevator and press the button for the first floor.
I’m not stupid enough to take the stairs in a situation like this.
The deafening sound of the helicopter gradually fades away as I leave behind the nightmarish suite.
It’s only then that I realize just how heavy this man is, and his body feels scorching hot to the touch. Looking at his pale face, he no longer exudes the same dignity he did a few hours ago. Sweat beads on his forehead, and he struggles to catch his breath. I can only hope we can get him the help he needs in time.
But damn, I really need that money.
“Abhi, find me a vehicle nearby that I can use,” I say into my headset, hoping for a quick solution.
“On it,” Abhi replies, nonchalantly.
It’s only a matter of minutes before he locates a suitable vehicle for our escape.
As the elevator doors open on the first floor, I rush towards the reception area and carefully place the prince on one of the sofas.
The hotel is now a frenzy of activity since the explosion, with the distant wail of fire brigade sirens and police approaching. Time is of the essence, and I need to make my exit before they arrive.
“Hey you, my ’bow,” I call out to the officers at the reception desk, using the nickname for my beloved Gandiva.
“Y-yes, ma’am, here you go,” one of the officers stammers, handing me back my prized weapon.
The sight of Gandiva in the same condition I left it almost brings tears of joy to my eyes.
Oh, how I’ve missed you~
“And hey, give me the other guys’ weapons too. They won’t be needing them anymore,” I assert, pointing at the fallen guards with my weapon.
“W-we can’t do that,” they stammer, making nervous gestures with their hands.
“I can see that you’ve touched it. My Gandiva is like a third hand to me, and I’ve sworn to shoot anyone between the eyes who dares lay filthy fingers on it without my consent. But I can show mercy if you do as I say. Give me their guns, now.”
Reluctantly, they hand over a Beretta A.P.X. and a brown leather pouch containing ammunition.
Quite old school, I must say. Is that all they had? They must have tricked those idiots, claiming this was their arsenal while keeping their main weapons with them. They were cleverer than me, but unfortunately, they paid the price with their lives.
“That’ll do,” I declare, securing Gandiva as a shoulder strap. Its familiar touch against my back soothes my mind as I pull the trigger of the Beretta, putting a bullet between the eyes of the closest officer.
“What the fuck!” the other officer shouts, his face splattered with his colleague’s blood.
“I noticed you touched that one too, and I forgave you for my Gandiva. But I can’t allow you to live after you’ve laid filthy hands on a partner’s tools,” I respond calmly, pointing the Beretta at his forehead. “In her loving memory.”
BAM!
The truth is, I killed them because they caught a glimpse of my face, and the police are on their way. The excuse about their behaviour was just a facade, but hey, it made me look like a caring person.
As I sprint towards the exit with the old man still in my arms, the revving sound of a motorized engine suddenly blocks my path.
A motorbike bursts through the shattered glass door, hovering in the lobby like a scene from an action film.
“Ha, like in Akira!” the idiot I had been thinking about earlier shouts.
What the hell is an Akira?
“I’ve found you a vehicle, Schwa,” Abhi laughs.
Okay, I’ll admit it, that was pretty damn cool. But…
“WE CAN’T FIT THREE PEOPLE ON A MOTORCYCLE!”
“STOP SHOOTING, YOU IDIOTS!” I shout, desperate for the chaos to cease.
Finally, the cloud of dust begins to settle, revealing a hotel suite in complete ruins.
The blinding spotlight and deafening helicopter noise mix with the raw emotions, making me feel nauseous.
Exhausted, I sink down onto the carpet behind the blown-up sofa, grasping DARIUS’s hand tightly.
“Hey miss, what’s up? Did we get them?” a deep voice calls out.
“YOU DIDN’T GET SHIT! COME HELP ME CARRY DARIUS OUT!” I snap back, my frustration palpable.
“Eh, who?” the one-eyed man who barged into the hotel room asks.
He is the one I hired for my escape plan, and I didn’t expect him to have partners and a helicopter at his disposal. His services were surprisingly cheap.
He nonchalantly holds a small shotgun in one arm while balancing a cigarette in the other. As if there isn’t enough smoke in this damn place already.
“So where’s the old man?” he asks, seemingly unfazed by the chaos around us.
“I don’t care. How did you get the helicopter? If I had known you had one, I would have come up with a different plan. Help me carry him; I need to administer first aid somewhere safe,” I plead urgently.
“There’s no room for him aboard,” he replies casually.
I reach for my gun and point it directly at him, trying to assert some authority. “Make some.”
“Eh, little girl, don’t tell me you think you can threaten me with that puny pistol. You were with an old man all night and couldn’t even shoot him, and now you think you can scare me?” he scoffs.
“That’s not what it was meant for. Make way for him, and I’ll pay you a million,” I propose, trying to negotiate.
“He’s fat, so two million. Shit is heavy,” he retorts, seemingly unfazed by my threats.
I reluctantly lower my gun and give a nod of agreement.
The man casually flicks his cigarette next to me and effortlessly lifts DARIUS’s arm onto his shoulders. With determined steps, he begins to make his way towards the waiting helicopter beyond the shattered window.
“You’d better come too, or we’ll leave you behind,” he calls out, not bothering to look back.
I can’t help but despise this greedy individual, but I realize that without his assistance, I wouldn’t have been able to save this other important person.
“Why are you willing to pay so much for him? Your boyfriend?” he inquires, curiosity lacing his voice.
I flash him a smile as I leap onto the flying machine.
“My brother,” I reply, my voice filled with painful affection.
Comments (0)
See all