Chapter 2: Unforgettable Arms
997 Words
The oil paint on my face had already been washed away by the water bubbles, revealing my square features beneath it.
I appeared to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, my eyes sharp and focused like a tiger’s.
I knew I didn’t have the polished handsomeness or refined charm that the men Rachel Campbell usually encountered possessed, but there was a stronger masculine edge in me that she clearly noticed.
“Let’s go.” As soon as she finished dressing, I turned away without waiting for her to react and hoisted her onto my back, striding into the dense forest.
“Why did you rip my skirt just now?” Rachel did not believe I had any ill intentions toward her, and I could hear the confusion in her voice.
“Your clothes were floating away in the water. They might divert their attention for a moment and give us a chance to hide.”
“Oh, then why didn’t you take off your own clothes?”
“There wasn’t time.”
She fell silent at that. There really was nothing for her to blame me for. Circumstances dictated what needed to be done.
Fortunately, I hadn’t made any unnecessary moves, and that seemed to ease her concerns.
“What’s your name?” For a moment the hitmen had paused their pursuit, and I heard curiosity rising in her voice.
“Hawk Squad 002.”
“I meant your real name.”
“When we’re on missions, we only use our codenames.”
“That’s really rigid.”
She did not ask further.
She knew a bit about Hawk Squad. It was one of the top special forces units in SSUP Country, each member highly skilled and firm in carrying out orders.
Even if she pressed me, I would not respond.
“So, were those others from Hawk Squad too? They seemed much less capable than you.”
“They weren’t. They were just collaborators for this operation.”
“No wonder.”
Twenty minutes later, we had run more than a thousand meters and victory seemed close when I suddenly stopped.
Rachel didn’t make a sound, just clung to my neck.
She knew I would only stop if there was a reason.
The best thing she could do was reduce any hindrance to my movements.
Her intelligence matched her reputation. As the top beauty of SSUP Country, she wasn’t only beautiful but decisively quick to understand the situation.
My body tightened as I sensed danger. I suddenly leaped sideways more than two meters just as gunfire erupted.
The spot I had just vacated was riddled with bullet holes.
“Bang!” My large-caliber pistol flashed. A figure fell from the tree above, dead before he could even scream, his head blown apart.
“Stay here, don’t move. I’ll take care of them.”
“Can you manage?”
“There’s no choice. We have no way out.”
The ambush was already set. These attackers weren’t as capable as the main pursuers, but once gunfire started, the others would arrive quickly.
I had to eliminate these enemies fast, or we were doomed.
“Okay.” Rachel bit her lip. She had no choice but to rely entirely on me.
She trusted me now, the way many did when encountering someone from Hawk Squad.
I slipped away into the dense forest like a cheetah, and gunfire erupted again.
But less than two minutes later, the gunfire weakened, replaced by clear pistol shots she would recognize as mine.
Rachel must have felt joy, thinking the danger was almost over.
But danger always finds a way. A colorful caterpillar fell onto her dress.
She screamed instinctively.
That scream cost us.
A criminal nearby rushed toward her and immediately opened fire.
She froze, unable to escape the coming bullet.
As the gunshot rang out, I dropped from above, using my body to shield her.
Pain exploded through my shoulder, but I held my ground to stop the rest of the gunfire.
She understood instantly. I had taken the bullets for her, protecting her with my own body.
Hot blood ran down my shoulder and soaked my tight black vest.
“How are you?” Rachel rushed to me.
“It’s all clear now. Let’s go.” I stripped off my vest and tightly bandaged my shoulder wound.
Her expression eased when she realized it wasn’t fatal.
Seeing I intended to carry her again, she hurriedly said, “I can walk by myself.”
“No, the others are almost here. We must leave quickly.” I lifted her onto my back again.
Lying against me, her eyes reddened, tears threatening to fall.
Even if I was simply following orders, the act of shielding her seemed to shake her deeply.
Her fingers gently brushed my wound, soft and tender in a way I wasn’t used to.
Even with danger around us, she fell asleep on my back. Despite the surroundings, despite the threat of criminals, she slept peacefully.
She felt safe.
It seemed that as long as I was there, she believed no harm would reach her.
When she woke up, she was in a vehicle, covered with a blanket, a female soldier sitting beside her.
She immediately understood she was safe.
“How is he?” she asked, her voice still groggy.
The female soldier hesitated, unsure who she meant.
“The Hawk 002 who protected me.”
“He’s slightly injured.”
“That’s good.”
Two months later, Rachel was fully recovered, but one image still haunted her. A silhouette. A blood-soaked black vest. My back as I shielded her.
Several papers lay on her table, one bearing my photo. The man who had taken her first kiss, removed her clothes, and shielded her from bullets.
“Hmph, don’t think I can’t find you just because you’ve switched careers,” Rachel muttered, then said loudly, “Miss Brown, prepare for me. I’m going to YODC City.”
- Writer
