SHANE's POV
The water drastically reached the perfect level for us to get out, so I looked at all of them as a signal.
"Go!" I shouted and immediately held my breath before swimming my way up to the surface.
The underwater current was so strong that I had a hard time yanking myself. I don't know if the others had already made their way up. It's just that I don't have the chance to save them or whatsoever if they didn't.
Just when I was about to run out of breath, I finally reached the surface and swam my way towards the nearest rock.
"Ugh!" I gasped when I heard a gunshot which actually hit the back part of my right shoulder.
I winced it pain and immediately submerged to dodge the next shot, fortunately, I did. I swam deeper before tugging the gun tucked on my left leg.
My right arm is useless, so I have to use my left arm which is basically useless as well. My right hand's is dominant.
Gunshots can still be heard and bullets are just passing right through me, luckily! They're probably anticipating me to swim the other way to escape so I have to attack them to where I'm least anticipated.
I swam towards their direction, locating 12 o'clock and emerged before their very eyes. Two of them were at the top of a cliff where we fell. I raised my left arm and aimed.
Grin escaped my lips along with the two bullets I fired into their heads and watched them fall down.
I supposed they didn't come unarmed so I immediately swam towards the corner and hid behind a boulder before someone could see me. I groaned as I helped myself down to sit.
"Damn!" Hiss escaped my lips when I saw the river where we almost died.
I didn't expect it to be so fuckin' huge. Good thing we only landed near the riverbank or else things might have gotten worse.
The river flows north and I saved myself on the left part of it.
I gasped when I heard another series of gunshots. I ducked and slowly peeked to where it came from, seeing Ian and Clark cornered on the other side of the river meters away from me. They were only hiding behind a rock just enough for their bodies to fit in.
"Those jerks!" I whined when I noticed they don't have guns of their own. "Where's Sebastian, anywaㅡ"
I wasn't able to finish what I was saying when my body moved on its own, dodging the bullet which was supposed to blow my head off.
Wincing, I immediately scooted behind a nearby rock when I sensed another bullet coming and I ain't mistaken. Base on the bullet tracks, it obviously came from a Mauser SP66 sniper which shoots at the range of 800 meters and I only have a long range revolver 357 magnum to suppress the opponent for heaven's sake!
I will be needing 300 meters closer to counter its attacks and to actually kill him, but at this state, moving would be like taking a stone and slam it on my head.
If I could only calculate how far the shooter is located then it would be easy but because I don't possess that kind of ability, it's better to stay hidden for a while and come up with a better plan.
I groaned, uttering a deep exasperated sigh.
I have to get out of here, too, before someone comes!
I looked everywhere to find a diversion and saw a sagging tree bark floating nearby. The shooter is obviously at 9 o'clock facing east and fortunately, the bark is invisible from him.
This would work! IT HAS TO!
I ducked and crept my way towards the bark, careful enough to myself underneath and submerged back in the water. The bark was bended upwards from following the structure of the tree it came from, so I have room for air.
I let the water take me with them, a perfect move to get closer to the opponent without getting seen. I looked back to where Ian and Clark were, sizzling.
"Body guards, who?! Better survive, idiots, so I can kill you myself!" I groaned and focus my head straight to my goal.
* * *
SEIJI's POV
"Where the hell is she?!" I moaned, walking in two directions over and over again. "C'mon! Pick up goddamn it!"
"Maybe she's just busy?" Ten raised his hand and I stopped to look at him.
"She's gone for 12 hours already and no one has seen her and Sebastian, and those two other guards close to her!" I wailed.
"Have you done calling the other managers?" Zen hyung asked.
"I already did," Eun hyung answered. "And Yi hyung already contacted every person who knows manager-nim."
Everyone went silent afterwards, obviously trapped in deep thoughts and worries. I tapped my watch to locate her, but she's nowhere to be found. Her light didn't turn red, it just went gray and I don't know what that means.
The other managers and some of Mr. Kim's trusted investigating team are on their way here to talk about this matter. We were never allowed to go out until Shane is found and Mr. Kim added more guards to protect us.
To think that were highly protected is to have the thought of being surely safe but why do I have this feeling thatㅡthe threat is being protected together with us?
I hissed, rolling my eyes in distress just then I saw Eun hyung staring at me. He raised his phone, so I assumed that he wants me to check mine and I did. I turned my screen on and saw a message.
"Meet me at the veranda."
I looked back but he's no longer there. I sighed and took a glimpse of Shane's door as we're inside our room.
I need to do something!
I stood up and went out to meet Eun hyung.
"We need to do something," he fussed the moment I stopped beside him. He then shot me a glare. "We should go after her!"
"To where?" I arched a brow. "This is a serious matter, hyung, and we can't just jump into something without a plan."
"But I—" he stopped and drew a deep sigh. He then looked at me with a sad look on his face. He didn't say a thing but I know what he wants to say—at the very least.
"Mianhe, Se, tsk!" He hissed. "Lately, I'm starting to get c-confused. I know what you feel about Shane so I—"
"Gwaenchanha," I cut him off. "Tangsineun na ddaemune keunyeoreul sarangeseo chasineul mageul piryoga eobsseumnida," I tried to get my face straight as I plastered a genuine smile. "Hajiman tangsineun keunyeoreul saranghago tangsineun keunyeoreul soyu halsuissseumnida."
[It's okay, you don't have to stop yourself from loving her because of me. I love her but I don't own her but you, you love her and can own her.]
"H-Hajiman—"
"Keunyeoyi haengbogeun nayi haengbok imyeo, naneun keunyeoga keunyeoe taehan tangsinyi kamjeongeul algireul kidaril su eobsda."
[Her happiness is my happiness, and I can't wait for her to know your feelings about her.]
Eun hyung looks even more worried, I secured him with a smile.
"All I care is her safety now, hyung. Whether she likes me back or not, that doesn't matter. I just want her here with us, safe."
Despite of his obvious worries, he smiled still.
"Let's get her back."
* * *
SHANE's POV
"Tell me who's behind all of this or I'll blow your fuckin' head off!" I groaned as I caress the gun I was holding towards his bleeding forehead.
Both of my knees were kneeling on each of his dislocated shoulder, so he couldn't move.
He's shivering in both fear and pain since I also shoot both of his legs and the left side of his stomach. I just need to be secured since he also shoot my left leg when we wrestled a while ago.
Yes! He's the sniper guy who hunted me. It didn't took me so much time to get him tho since he's obviously just a novice in this field.
"I-I don't know—ugh," he groaned. "I-I've never m-meet someone w-when I entered this job."
"What do you fuckin' mean by that?!"
"I-I was only hired online using a a-anonymous account!"
"And why on freakin' world would I believe that nonsense?!" I lamented and rubbed the gun down his cheeks. "One more shit and I might pull this fckin' trigger!"
"N-no! I-I'm telling the truth and I can prove you that!" He gulped.
"How?!"
"I-I can show you the message the person s-send me. It's in my bag."
"Ha!" I snorted. "What? So, I'd let you move? As if I'll give you that chance!"
"How the hell will I be able to move in this situation?!" He wailed. "Y-You literally broke my goddamn bones. I couldn't even raise a finger now."
My lips thinned and leaned back a little. "Where's that stupid bag?"
He looked behind me and pooched his lips. I followed the direction with my stares and there, I saw it.
I slowly stood up, still pointing the gun at him.
"You lie, you die," I warned.
"Whatever! I'm a-already good as dead, thank you!" He rolled his eyes which took me aback.
"Bitch!" I snorted and carefully peeked on his bag.
"Don't w-worry! That won't explode," he hissed and I gave him a dirty finger.
"Shut the fuck up!"
"Geez!"
I opened the bag where I saw an iPad and a McBook.
"Which of these?"
"The iPad."
I nodded and took what he said. I slowly sat down in front of him, beside the bag, and exhaled. My wound is killing me! I forgot how gunshot wounds feel like. I never thought I'd taste this again.
"T-There are also pain relievers on the right p-pocket. Y-You might need one."
I looked back at him with a cocked brow. "In case you didn't know, I'm your enemy who might kill you after this."
"Then I'll tell Satan you said hi," he groaned.
I only stared at him who's lying straight down the ground, half-covered with blood. He got 3 gunshots, 2 bone dislocation, and some minor injuries on his head and face. If I won't kill him, he'll still die out of blood loss and pain.
I rolled my eyes and turned the iPad on.
"Password."
"SHANEIRIE capslock, no spaces."
I gasped and look back at him in confusion.
"Don't mess with me or I'll break this thing on your face!" I bawled.
"I'm already dying in pain here! Why the hell would I joke around?!" He winced, catching his own breaths.
"But how did you know my name?! And how—"
"Before you a-ask, you should know that I didn't know that who I was gonna annihilate was you."
"So?! How—"
"Let me finish first, bakaaa!"
My lips thinned as I slowly stood up, so I could see his face clearly. He's also looking at me.
"I-I'm the son of one of your dad's business partners b-before, Shane-chan. I-I'm not surprised if you don't recognize me. I'm just a nobody though—ugh!"
I winced when he started coughed blood.
"I-I always look at you from afar b-before and tried for you to notice me. But y-you never saw me until y-you went away and never came back."
He gasped for air.
"I-I searched for you for years and I'm s-so happy that I finally saw you—even in this k-kind of situation, at least, y-you were the one responsible for my death."
"Omae wa bakada, Tanaka!" [You are a fool, Tanaka!]
His eyes went in circles, wheezing.
"Y-You know me?"
"Mochirundesu," I said in a low, straight voice. "Dare ga anata ga mainichi anata o nayama seru no o wasureru koto ga dekimasu ka?" [Of course. Who can forget someone who bothers you every minute of your day?]
He stared at me for a couple of seconds and smiled.
"Yokatta!" He whispered. "U-ureshiyou." [Thank goodness! I'm glad.]
Those were the last words he said before his eyes closed.