REBIRTH: SEVEN DAYS BEFORE DOOMSDAY

SHOT DOWN

I blinked and froze up completely. For the next few seconds, I just stared at him without saying anything. I was trying very hard to be sure that I had actually heard him correctly.

Was he asking me out on a date? Or was this just dinner between colleagues?

I had no idea, but something was telling me that it was meant to be the former.

I was stuck in my dilemma for a while, and Harris just kept silent, content to let me decide on an answer.

I was shocked by just how easily he had moved on from what had just happened to us. It was like to him, going to dinner was the most natural progression for our day.

Eventually, I decided to answer his question with a question of my own.

“Are you actually asking me out to dinner? Or are you just trying to be a gentleman?

Harris smiled, “Yes, I am actually asking you out to dinner.”

“Now?” I was still too shocked to think straight,

He chuckled. “Yes now,” he answered, “Do you have any problem with that, or did you have another evening plan?”

I blinked. I still hadn’t signed the document with the manager of the supermarket for my goods, but I was sure I could do that tomorrow.

That also meant I was free, but did I really want to go to dinner with him?

Especially just days after a man had shattered my heart.

It took about a minute before I opened my mouth, then, I closed it. There were a hundred things I should have been doing. And yet, somehow, I was standing there thinking more about dinner than anything else.

I eventually made a decision, and the moment I did, I let out a sigh of relief.

“Okay.” I answered, “Let’s have dinner.”

His smile grew so wide and radiant that I actually felt it begin to soften my heart. “That’s great,” he answered,

Then, with a nod at some of the men still idling around, he turned around and led me back towards the part of the island where the private jet was still packed.

I kept silent as I followed after him, my mind muddled as I thought about how he had managed to convince me. We got to the private jet, and he helped me inside.

The moment I sat down on one of the comfy leather seats, he took the seat across from mine.

“You really use this thing for everything, don't you?” I asked, failing to hide the slight envy in my voice,

Harris shrugged, “It's faster than anything else,” he answered, “But I like flying because it's more convenient.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course it is.”

He chuckled, motioned to a flight stewardess who immediately brought some wine and some dessert for us.

The flight was surprisingly short, or maybe it was just because I was far too engrossed in our conversation to notice the passage of time, but when the jet landed on his private airfield, I blinked in shock.

I held his hand as he led me down the jet, and when we walked out, I froze again.

Somehow, Harris had a large, black SUV waiting to take us to the dinner location.

It wasn't even an ordinary SUV. Even though we were still approaching the vehicle, my eyes could immediately spot the fact that the SUV had been modified.

The windows were far too thick, and the doors looked like solid metal. There were also way more cameras around the vehicle than should be normal.

When we reached the SUV, I turned to face Harris with a raised brow,

“Is all of this necessary for just dinner?” I asked, my tone filled with confusion,

“With what happened earlier, I would much rather be safe.” He answered,

I sighed, and he took that as acceptance, so he took a step forward, opened the door and stepped aside.

I flashed him a smile as I climbed into the back seat, he followed after me, and closed the door shut.

I nodded at the driver who was already waiting for us behind the wheel. The driver nodded back, and with a nod from Harris, he started the engine and began to drive out of the private airstrip.

For a few minutes, I simply watched the city pass outside the window. Even though it was getting very dark, the streets were still as alive as ever.

People were walking along the street, and cars were speeding through intersections. The entire city, no, the entire world was alive. And to everyone, the world was normal.

But I knew better, and with the appearance of the Ratjaw, I was pretty sure the government themselves knew too.

What they didn’t know though, was that in six days, this same city would become a graveyard.

I took a deep breath, and calmed my mind down. I couldn’t help, and losing my mind over it wasn’t going to do me any good.

“So,” Harris said, breaking the silence, “there's a restaurant about twenty minutes from here.”

I turned toward him with a smile on the corner of my lips. “Twenty whole minutes?” I gasped, half joking, “Don’t tell me you flew me over the river for a twenty-minute drive?”

“Well, it’s a good restaurant,” Harris answered, somehow managing to sound offended.

I laughed. And for once, I realized that here, with him, I was at peace.

The smile on my face was genuine, and when —

Wait! What was that?

BANG!

I heard the sound again, so I turned around, and before I could look out the tinted windows of the SUV, I heard a loud c***k, and then, the vehicle shook.

My smile disappeared. “What was—”

BANG!

It didn’t take long for me to realize that we were being shot out.

Panic immediately settled in as my heart slammed against my ribs.

“What the hell?”

The windows shook violently as bullets kept on slamming hard into the SUV.

I was still lost in my thoughts until Harris grabbed my shoulder and began to scream. “Get down!”

I dropped instinctively, and it was just in time, because another bullet struck the side of the vehicle, and this time, it cut deep enough for the glass on my side to break.

But it didn’t shatter, not yet at least.

“What's happening?” I screamed.

“We're under attack!” Harris shouted.

The words barely registered. My entire body felt like it was on fire. I pressed myself tightly against the seat, and stared out of the windows as flashes of gunfire appeared outside.

People were shooting at us. Why? Who were they?

Harris pulled out his gun from earlier, and I stared at him in shock as he slowly lowered his window and began to fire back.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

More gunshots exploded around us, and it didn’t take long before he stopped and just lowered his head like I did.

It took me a while to realize I could actually do something about this. I had power. I could stop tehm. I could.

CRACK!

This time, the sound was different. It was much closer, something shattered beside me – the glass window – and for one terrifying second, the entire world slowed them.

I didn’t know if it was a mirage, but I could swear that I could see the bullet as it pierced through the glass and headed towards me.

I tried to dodge, but I couldn’t. In retrospect, I could have used my telekinesis to deflect the bullet, but I was too lost in fear to realize I could do that.

A sharp, burning pain exploded through my shoulder. I opened my lips and let out a scream.

“AHHH!”

My entire body jerked backward as I instinctively grabbed my shoulder. Warm blood immediately soaked through my fingers, and I stared down at my hand in shock.

I had been shot.