As the moment of the transaction drew near, Andrew meticulously briefed his subordinates, deploying forces both inside and outside. According to his plan, two locations within the factory were designated for the exchange, yet only one would be used; the other served as a decoy to construct a misleading scene.
While Andrew oversaw the transaction, Bryan led a few men to where Mary was imprisoned, secretly intending to rescue her. The plan was laid out; the only question was: Would it succeed as hoped?
Midnight approached, and Andrew glanced at his watch-only thirty minutes until the appointed hour. He was no novice to covert operations, yet this mission held more significant stakes.
The slightest misstep could put Mary in dire peril.
He wondered how Bryan was faring in his covert mission to reach Mary, especially since the suspicious Mr. Jonathan would have likely prepared for all contingencies.
All the lookout positions were covered; a single alarm would trigger a coordinated assault. The night was eerily still, the ambiance tinged with the chilling air, a blend of insect calls, and the whispering wind conjuring an unsettling stillness.
Andrew remained silent, patiently waiting, each passing second intensifying his anxiety. His concern was not for himself but for the woman he loved. Suddenly, a distant report from his men: three cars were approaching. He stood up to observe, everyone immediately on high alert.
As the vehicle rolled in, Andrew ordered his men to open the doors and frisk the guests for weapons. Though unhappy, the visitors complied.
Once formalities were completed, they were escorted inside, where Andrew awaited the required merchandise, readied with meticulous care. Their gang leader, visibly displeased, inquired, “Is this your hospitality? If we are to collaborate, shouldn’t there be trust? Why confiscate our weapons, yet you retain yours? What if something happens to us?”
With icy detachment, Andrew retorted, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but that I don’t trust others. I hope you understand.”
Though perplexed, the man overlooked the matter as more significant concerns prevailed. He asked, “Is everything I requested prepared?”
At Andrew’s signal, one of his men placed a briefcase full of the goods on the table for inspection. The gang leader glanced over it, then signaled his man to present a suitcase filled with cash. The transaction was entering its most critical phase.
On one side, the merchandise was examined; on the other, stacks of money were counted-a flurry of swift and professional activity. Though the meeting lasted only ten minutes, the tension was palpable.
Things seemed to go smoothly, and the guests returned to their vehicles. Just as they were about to get in, a few of their men suddenly opened fire on Andrew’s crew, catching them off guard. Andrew immediately signaled for the doors to be shut and the fire to be returned, not letting them escape.
The staccato rhythm of gunfire filled the air, an endless chorus showing no signs of abating. Andrew sensed that they were gunning for his life with relentless intent.
“Circle them in,” he ordered his men, erecting a barricade to keep the attackers from escaping through the gate. “Then, assail them from all sides.” The landscape was desolate, the roads narrow-a getaway in these circumstances would be impossible. Mr. Jonathan had underestimated him, assuming that his cunning was sufficient to navigate this territory, which was, in fact, Andrew’s domain.
As their ammunition dwindled, a telltale pause in the adversaries’ firepower became noticeable. “Press the attack,” Andrew commanded his squad, seizing the moment to finish them.
It struck him in the thick of battle: Mr. Jonathan had broken his word, which meant Mary was in grave danger. He took off alone in a vehicle, speeding through the back roads to assist Bryan.
His foot hammered the accelerator, pushing the car to its limits. His mind was a storm of worry and fury-he berated himself for not being there sooner to save her.
Meanwhile, Bryan, having neutralized the gatekeepers, advanced cautiously into the compound. The place where Mary was being held was unimaginably secluded. Not a trace of human life-just a dilapidated, rotting building surrounded by large pieces of lumber, as if a hideout for illegal wood traders. It all added up; Mr. Jonathan’s empire thrived on diverse illicit trades.
Stealthily, Bryan arrived at a pitch-black room where he heard two men conversing about Andrew.
“The boss says we off her once they finish off Andrew and get the money. Shame, really, such a pretty girl,” one of them smirked.
Bryan faked a noise to lure them out. “Who’s out there?” one man shouted.
When no answer came, he sent his comrade to investigate. The moment the man stepped out, Bryan swooped down from above, using his legs to strangle him in a death grip so instantaneous there was no chance of a dying breath. Then he took cover, lying in wait.
Growing restless, the remaining man ventured out to check. Bryan ambushed him from behind, ending his petty, thuggish life with a swift, fatal kick.
Bryan burst into the room. There lay Mary, her mouth gagged, limbs bound, immobilized. Upon seeing him, she could not speak, but her eyes flooded with tears of relief and love.
In a surge of swift motion, Bryan deftly untied the ropes and pulled Mary into his embrace. Tears cascaded down her cheeks, each droplet a manifestation of days-long terror, soaking his shoulder as she wept like she had never.
Cradling his beloved, Bryan’s heart was equally pierced by pain. He guided her out to a waiting car. Unfortunately, at that moment, their pursuers burst in, guns blazing. Acting instinctually, Bryan shoved Mary to the ground, taking the bullet meant for her.
The lethal shot inflicted severe injuries, blood oozing onto his clothes, staining her trembling arm, and splattering onto her pallid and frightened face. Speechless and frozen, she couldn’t even muster a sob. They huddled in a corner as the relentless gunfire echoed outside. One of Bryan’s subordinates shouted from the fray, “Get in the car, both of you!”
Mary helped Bryan towards the car with heavy, faltering steps, easing him in first. As she was about to climb in, another vehicle suddenly barreled toward them. Its headlights blinded her, providing no clue to the identity of the oncoming threat. It showed no signs of stopping. Panicked, she screamed, clutching her head.
“Ahh…ahh…ahh!”
“Crash!”
In a whirlwind of confusion, Mary’s mind was spinning. All she knew was that the car was aimed straight at her. Opening her eyes, she realized another vehicle had darted forward, blocking the oncoming car. His face bloodied, slumped over the steering wheel, was none other than Andrew.
In the depths of the night, Mary unleashed a sorrowful scream, unable to bear the torments that enveloped her. In the blink of an eye, her past love and present affection suffered on her account. Two men, two romances, all shattered and sabotaged because of her. How could a frail girl face such ruthless realities?
The man she loved had taken a bullet for her, while the man she despised was lost somewhere between life and death-also because of her. Never before had she felt as frightened and sad as she did now. She yearned for time to reverse itself, to erase this cruel truth.
After causing the catastrophe, Agnes and her minions hastily retreated, leaving behind a haunting silence punctuated only by Mary’s mournful wails.
Swiftly, she got Andrew and Bryan to the hospital. Andrew was unconscious, while Bryan bled profusely with no signs of stopping.
Sitting in the vehicle, Bryan repeatedly murmured Mary’s name. With her petite hands, she tried to warm him, endlessly offering words of encouragement. “Hang on! We’re almost at the hospital. Once we get there, you’ll be fine; the doctors will take care of you.”
Bryan shook his head and managed to smile through his agony. “Don’t worry. If one day I’m not around, he will look after you. I know he loves you deeply but can’t admit it because he feels guilty about his past with you. I hope you can open your heart to him, to both of us, for a chance to start anew. He’s never sacrificed himself for anyone, yet he’s risking his life for you today. Only love can drive a man to such an act.”
Tears streaming down her face, Mary fervently shook her head. “But I have you, and I don’t need anyone else. Please endure just a little more.”
Bryan whispered, “I can’t protect you adequately; being with me will only bring you hardship. You need a stronger and more competent man to care for you for the rest of your life.”
Overcome with despair, Mary screamed, her throat choked with bitterness, unable to form words. She’d experienced this feeling when her family faced a crisis, but this time, it was even more potent, more devastating. All her efforts to be strong and assertive had been reduced to zero.
The car sped on, but the body heat of the man she held in her arms was fading. The chilling sensation moved from his body to her hands, seeping into her cells and clouding her consciousness.
The man who had once rescued her from her darkest days and vowed to look after her for a lifetime had left her alone in a world rife with traps and pitfalls. A new wave of loneliness rushed over her, making her heart ache even more. Her chest felt weighed down, and her wounded heart seemed to have salt rubbed into it, multiplying her pain a thousandfold.