The Agent's Blood

Chapter 15.

Elena prepared herself, facing the armed young man before her. Her eyes narrowed as she saw that the neck of the girl being held hostage was already wounded by the man's knife.

"I'll give you the jewelry, but let her go!" Elena said, trying to negotiate and buy time as she walked slowly toward a small table beside the bed.

There was an emergency button key given to her by Evander. If she could reach it and press the SOS button, she would only need to stall until help arrived.

The problem was, the situation was extremely risky. She was only wearing a towel and was at gunpoint.

"You arrogant people, squandering money without a care for the starving poor," the young man condemned, his eyes glinting with a wild anger.

Elena was taken aback by his words. She understood then that the perpetrator held a grudge against life itself, leading him to despise the wealthy, whom he believed lacked empathy for the poor.

"If you want, just take all the jewelry in that drawer," Elena said, pointing to a small cabinet behind the young man. When he turned to look for the cabinet she indicated, Elena seized the opportunity to run quickly and silently to the small table, successfully pressing the button.

The young man snarled in anger when he found Elena had moved from her spot and immediately raised his firearm higher, aiming at her face.

"You're trying to trick me!" he shouted, enraged, and tightened the knife's pressure against the girl's neck, making her cry and tremble in fear. Blood seeped from the gash on her neck.

"I suggest you stop and just take the jewelry!" Elena yelled, panicking at the sight of the girl.

"QUIET!" the young man snapped. "Don't you dare boss me around or try to distract me, or you'll die with your face blown apart by my bullet!" he screamed, gripping his weapon tightly.

"Fine, but release her! You could kill her!" Elena pleaded again, horrified by the knife's tip so close to the hostage's throat.

Unexpectedly, the young man then shoved the girl toward Elena, causing her to stumble, but Elena caught her just in time. The girl was shaking with fear.

The young man removed his mask, allowing Elena to see his face. He was a handsome young man with a gaunt face and dark circles hanging under his eyes. He then walked to the side of the cabinet Elena had pointed to, keeping his gun aimed at them. Hurriedly, he opened the cabinet door and checked its contents. His face lit up when he found the jewelry box, just as Elena had said. He quickly stuffed all the diamond jewelry into his pants pockets and checked for anything else of value. But he found nothing.

"E-Ethan...!"

Elena's eyes widened at the sound. She turned to the spa girl, who was staring at the young man with pleading eyes.

"Just let her go. You got what you wanted, didn't you?!" the girl exclaimed.

But instead of pity, the young man called Ethan looked even more agitated. Elena and the girl shrieked as Ethan once again aimed the firearm at them.

"You think I'll be at peace when you know my face, Bella?!" Ethan sneered.

And, before Elena could fully process the situation, she was shocked half to death as Ethan fired the gun in his hand.

BANG!

Fresh blood splattered everywhere, concurrent with Bella's collapse. A hole was created in her forehead by the hot bullet Ethan had fired. Elena gaped, her face covered in blood. She could still feel the warm, metallic-smelling liquid.

Elena screamed hysterically, seeing Bella lying on the floor in a growing pool of her own blood, which flowed continuously from the bullet hole in her forehead. Her eyes were wide open, meeting death, her mouth agape as if to scream an unspoken pain, for her life had already fled her body.

Elena suddenly felt nauseous when she saw a whitish lump also oozing from the hole.

"You," Ethan pointed, turning his weapon to Elena, "you have to die too!" he said, bursting into demonic laughter.

Elena felt her life had reached its limit. Flashes of Evander and their time together filled her mind. If her life were to end at the muzzle of that gun, she was ready, for she had already given her entire self to the Captain.

Ethan grinned, preparing to pull the trigger. Elena could only surrender and close her eyes, waiting for the second the bullet would pierce her body.

BANG! BANG!

Two gunshots rang out. Silence followed, then the sound of a heavy object falling to the floor. Elena opened her eyes, checking her body for any wounds she might not have felt in her terror. But when her eyes looked forward, she screamed hysterically again, seeing Ethan now lying on the floor in the same condition as Bella.

"Miss!"

Elena turned and saw Evander rushing toward her. She instantly threw herself into her bodyguard's arms and cried loudly, her body shivering with fear and shock from the two deaths that had just occurred before her eyes.

Evander took off his jacket and immediately draped it over Elena's shoulders. Just then, the police arrived. Evander quickly led Elena out of that place. The woman couldn't even stand straight, her legs felt so weak.

Evander took Elena to another room, helping to clean the blood from her face and body. He gently lowered her into a bathtub filled with warm water and scented liquid soap. When Evander was about to stand up, Elena gripped his hand tightly.

"Please don't go!" she pleaded, her face still pale with fear.

Evander paused. "Don't be afraid! I'm here now!" he said, stroking Elena's cheek, wiping away her tears.

"Elena!"

They both turned in unison to see Julian standing in the bathroom doorway, his face wrinkled in a frown as he looked at the two of them. Elena was in the bathtub, abundant foam covering her body, holding hands with Evander.

"You two-!" Julian was about to be consumed by jealousy and suspicion, if only he hadn't seen the cotton pads stained with blood on the bathroom floor near Evander's feet.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" His tone changed as he stepped inside.

Evander quickly stood up and released Elena's hand, although the woman was reluctant to be far from her personal bodyguard. Their hands parted as Julian approached and took his wife's hand. He was stunned for a moment, feeling how cold and trembling Elena's hand was in his grasp. His expression changed. He turned to Evander.

"Thank you for arriving on time!" he said, surprising Elena, who quickly turned to look at her husband.

Evander smiled and nodded. "It's my duty, sir!" he replied humbly.

Julian nodded, then turned to Elena and hugged her, stroking his wife's head and calming her. Elena nodded, though her eyes still showed fear.

Evander saw this. He knew his place. Without a word, he excused himself and left the room. He turned and walked away, followed by Elena's gaze from within Julian's embrace.