CHAPTER 7
923 Words
One of the men raised his g*n.
"Try to take her, and we’ll put a bullet in your skull!”
When they saw Arthur let go of the woman's hand, they assumed he was ready to surrender.
"Hey, bastard!" one of the men sneered, thinking Arthur was about to walk away.
"Once we shoot your arms, they’ll be completely useless! So you'll learn never to go where you're not invited!"
Arthur chuckled, shaking his head.
“Cowards! If you’re so tough, drop the guns and fight me like men.”
The thugs' fingers tightened on their triggers.
The woman gasped in horror.
“Please, just leave! I don’t want you to die because of me!”
Arthur ignored her plea.
His mind worked fast, calculating his next move.
In a flash, he jumped at the two gunmen from an angle they didn’t expect, twisting his body mid-air.
His elbow smashed into one thug’s wrist, knocking the g*n out of his hand.
At the same time, Arthur grabbed the second man’s arm, wrestling the firearm away.
A struggle ensued, fists flying, bodies crashing into furniture.
The three remaining thugs had recovered.
One of them raised his g*n at the young woman, taking advantage of Arthur’s distraction.
Almost immediately, Arthur saw it, but it was too late.
In a split second, he lunged in front of the woman, shielding her with his body.
Bang! Bang!
Pain exploded in Arthur’s thigh and leg. He staggered back as blood gushed from the wounds.
The woman screamed.
The gunmen smirked, more furious and determined to kill both the woman and Arthur this time.
But while Arthur laid on the ground in pain, he spotted a heavy-duty flamethrower left in a pile of stolen goods near him.
With a final burst of energy, he grabbed the weapon and pulled the trigger.
A wave of flames engulfed the room, swallowing the five thugs before they could react.
Their screams filled the air, but within seconds, silence fell.
The bodies collapsed, motionless!
Arthur turned to the woman.
His vision blurred from blood loss.
The woman sank to her knees beside him with tears streaming down her face.
“Oh my God! You’re bleeding so much!”
Arthur grimaced, trying to stay upright.
“You’re safe. That’s all that matters,” he said.
The woman frantically searched the fallen bodies and spotted her phone which one of them had earlier ceased, slipping out of one of their pockets.
She grabbed it with her fingers shaking as she dialed.
The woman's hands trembled as she held the phone to her ear.
"Mom! It's me! Get an ambulance—now! I was kidn*pped, and I need help!"
A gasp came from the other end.
"Karen?! Oh my God! Are you hurt? Where are you?"
Karen looked around the dimly lit, grimy room.
She had no idea where she was. Panic surged in her chest.
"I… I don’t know exactly—"
A weak groan came from beside her.
She turned and saw Arthur struggling to stay conscious. His face was pale and his breathing was shallow.
Blood pooled beneath his leg where he had been shot.
Through gritted teeth, Arthur murmured, "Westerfield Industrial Area… building number 12…"
Karen quickly relayed the information to her mother and the call ended.
Karen turned back to Arthur, whose eyelids were drooping.
"Hold on. Help is on the way."
Before Arthur could respond, his body suddenly slumped, and his eyes shut.
"Mister?" she gasped, shaking him gently.
"Mister! Wake up!"
He didn’t respond.
At that moment, sirens blared outside.
Red and blue lights illuminated the grimy walls as an ambulance screeched to a stop.
Paramedics rushed in.
"We’ve got a male victim—gunshot wounds!" one of them called.
They lifted Arthur onto a stretcher, checking his vitals.
As they wheeled him outside, another car pulled up—a sleek black SUV.
The doors flew open, and Karen’s mother, Evelyn, and her older brother, Ted, stepped out.
Evelyn let out a cry of relief.
"Karen!" She rushed forward, pulling Karen into a tight hug.
"Oh, thank God! Are you hurt?"
Karen shook her head. "No, Mom. I'm fine."
Ted scanned the scene. His gaze landed on the dead thugs sprawled on the floor inside the warehouse.
His expression hardened.
"What the hell happened here?"
Evelyn turned toward the ambulance, where Arthur was being treated.
"And who is that?"
Karen hesitated. She could already see the misunderstanding forming in their eyes.
Ted scoffed. "Probably one of the kidnappers. Looks like he’s the only one who survived."
Karen’s stomach twisted.
"No!" she protested. "He’s not one of them!"
Ted frowned. "Karen, what are you talking about?"
Evelyn grabbed Karen’s shoulders gently. "Sweetheart, I know you're shaken up. But the police will handle this. Just come home with us."
Karen clenched her fists.
"You don’t understand. That man saved me! He fought them off!"
Ted’s brows furrowed.
"So, what—you’re saying one of the thugs suddenly had a change of heart and rescued you?"
Karen’s patience snapped. "He isn’t one of them! He risked his life to save mine!"
Ted and Evelyn exchanged a doubtful glance.
"Karen," Evelyn tried again, "you've been through a lot. You need to rest."
Karen took a deep breath. "I’m not going home. I’m going to the hospital with that young man."
Her family stared at her in disbelief.
Ted crossed his arms.
"Why?"
Karen met his gaze steadily.
"Because I owe him my life."
Without another word, she turned and climbed into the ambulance.
- Writer
