Chapter 5: One breath
1053 Words
Jacy melted into Harry’s chest, sobbing as fear gripped her. Harry held her firmly, turning his body so that his side shielded her from the masked gunman.
“On your knees 2 sec! Osiso...fast!” the man thundered.
Harry and Jacy sank to the floor. Jacy’s cries grew louder, the sound of someone who believed her life had reached its end. Harry stroked her trembling shoulders, whispering comfort, though his own heart pounded. He was afraid, but a man had to be a man.
The masked intruder studied Jacy. He touched her face, then grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked hard. She screamed. Harry pleaded, begging for mercy on her behalf.
The man c****d his gun and pressed the barrel against Jacy’s forehead. Harry leapt to his feet, blocking her with his body.
The man stepped few feet backwards, c****d his gun and aimed it at Jacy’s forehead. Harry leapt to his feet, blocking her with his body.
"You can shoot me instead". He said , voice ragged. "Not her. Not an innocent girl. Look at her...what did she ever do to you? If a man sent you to get rid of her...why won't you reconsider? Don't you see the innocency... don't you? Huh? Don't you have a human heart?"
The masked man stared at Harry, silent, his weapon steady. Then slowly, he lowered it. For a moment, it seemed like he might spare them. But then he raised it again this time pointing at Harry’s chest.
He paused. He didn’t fire. Instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it with deliberate calm. He tossed the lighter at Harry’s feet and sneered.
"You...are...a finished man!
But that's not my problem. I wasn't sent to kill anyone but you're not anyone. you're a finished...man!"
Before Harry could answer, the sound of a door opening shattered the tension. A student from the party stepped out. The gunman spun and fired without aiming. The girl screamed and collapsed inside, blood smearing the doorway. Alive or dead her fate hung on luck.
The intruder turned back to Harry, erupting in harsh laughter. But the sound cut short. An AK-47 round tore through his back, blood erupting in a sudden, merciless gush. His gun clattered to the floor as he collapsed.
The shot had come from one of the police officers Harry had invited to the party.
Harry dragged Jacy to her feet as she panicked, shaking uncontrollably. She never imagined she would leave that moment alive. Holding her tight, he rushed her into the police car, and they sped into the night.
---
Mary opened the door to Harry’s apartment, and they stepped inside. She had met them earlier at the police station, where they had sought safety. Harry went in first, moving confidently as the owner of the flat.
It was a three-bedroom apartment. The corridor stretched several meters from the entrance before opening into the parlour. The floor was covered in white marble tiles, each square measuring about 1.6 cm, perfectly aligned to cover the entire room.
The first thing that drew their attention was the plasma TV mounted on the right wall. A small white refrigerator stood neatly at the far end of the room. Six black cushion chairs were arranged in a semi-circle, occupying half of the parlour, leaving the center open. In the middle of the room was a door leading to the bedrooms.
Harry guided them to his room. It was spacious, with a deep red carpet patterned with a large atlas design, giving the room a unique character. Beside the large bed stood a big fan, and a single cushion chair rested in one corner. A wardrobe held his personal items; hairbrushes, toothbrushes, and other daily essentials while the remaining belongings were stored in the kitchen, whose door sat at the far end of the adjoining room.
“Hope you’ll eat,” Harry said, forcing a smile. “Chill, okay? We’re safe now.”
Mary uttered no word though she nodded at the mention of 'eat'. Jacy nodded silently. Her mind raced. What really happened.She couldn’t stop replaying the masked man’s voice, his words, his intent. She picked her phone and dialed her mother. She picked and assured her that her dad and brother were being treated. Jacy couldn't unveil to her the fact that she was attacked too. That can give her a high blood pressure. She only asked her if the assailants and there motives were known. Her mother said no. But later replied that it was told that the attackers only came to rob them but due to resistance from her father. They shot him and her brother. Of course Jacy knew who her father is. That served as a minor relief to her. At least robbers can attacked anyone but
“Who was the masked man?” she whispered to herself.
Harry, balancing food trays, looked at her. “Do you know him?” he asked, as if he had read her mind. He placed plates of rice, stew, vegetables, and beef on the table.
Jacy shook her head. “I’ve never seen him before. But what was his motive? That’s what baffles me.”
Harry’s gaze softened. “I think he knows you. Maybe someone sent him. Against you.”
“Against me?” Jacy’s voice quivered. “But he pointed a gun at your chest. Do you remember what he said, right before he was shot?”
The plates clinked as Harry and Mary dug in, spoons clucking against porcelain. Jacy only stared, untouched, still wrapped in fear.
Harry reached across the table. “We shouldn’t argue now. All I know is, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
His words broke through her terror. Jacy looked at him, remembering how he had shielded her with his own body. She rose, crossed the room, and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I love you,” she whispered.
Harry smiled faintly. Mary, watching, could only admire.
---
A year passed. Harry had met Jacy’s parents, performed the marriage rites, and together they built a life that seemed untouched by the shadow of that night.
Only the white wedding remained.
It was fixed for Saturday, May 10th, 2020.
The day came and unveiled a very tragic incident.
- Writer
