Read Story: SEASON 2 EPISODE 30

Then, I was around the tree and unable to see anyone. I saw wood chips fly around me as several gunshots went off. Then, a curse spat out in Japanese, followed by a cry of pain.

Popping around the tree, I couldn’t see anyone, so I rushed forward a few feet, then into the small clearing when I saw Chloe lying partially on top of Scanner, her face buried in the crook of his neck. His gun looked like it was wedged between them, and he was desperately trying to pull it free.

As I ran over, I glanced at the other two bodies to see them both lying motionless on the ground and immediately turned my attention to the one my bound bodyguard was struggling with. I closed the distance between me and them and immediately pointed the pistol at him. Chloe must have seen me out of her peripheral because the moment I had my gun trained on him, she pulled away from him and backed a few feet back.

I was ready to open fire on him if the barrel of his rifle so much as twitched, but it wasn’t necessary. The only thing he was concerned about was the gaping crater in the side of his neck that was gushing blood. He screamed as he slapped a hand over the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but warm blood gushed between his fingers regardless of how hard he held onto it.

Chloe’s face from the nose down was covered in bright crimson that quickly mingled with the rainwater soaking her shirt. The gag she’d been wearing earlier was utterly drenched in blood as it hung around her neck. Still eying the fallen gunman, she turned her head to the side and spat a bloody chunk of something meaty.

“Don’t bother,” Chloe panted, looking positively feral with all the blood on her face and strands of her wet hair falling in her face. “He’s dead. He just hasn’t caught onto it yet.”

“Jesus!” I yelled at no one in particular.

“Take his gun,” Chloe said and spat more blood. I did as she directed, pulling the rifle’s strap off the dying man as he still screamed in pain and babbled in Japanese.

“Good,” Chloe said. “Now secure the other two.”

“What?” I asked, alarmed. “They’re not dead?”

“That means check to see if they’re dead,” Chloe said calmly.

I followed her direction there as well and called out that the one I shot and English were both dead.

“Good,” Chloe said, still watching Scanner. He’d stopped screaming and was simply lying there breathing. I returned to my bodyguard.

“You got something to cut these?” Chloe asked, leaning forward so she could display her bound wrists. I pulled out the multitool and cut the zip ties, freeing her. She immediately stood up and began searching the dead and dying soldiers.

“Did you really kill the one you mentioned on the radio?” she asked as she set to work.

“What?” I asked, tearing my eyes from the dying man to look at her. “Oh… no. I knocked him out and left him tied to a tree.”

Chloe gave me a look that said she didn’t approve, but refrained from saying anything else. Even a look of disapproval from her looked absolutely terrifying. She turned back to the one who had threatened to kill her and said, “Should’ve tied my ankles and left the gag on, motherfucker.”

By the time we gathered what few useful possessions the three mercenaries had, Scanner had grown motionless. Chloe had removed English’s shirt and was using it to remove most of the blood from her face. Everything was already wet, making the entire process quick and easy. Meanwhile, I retrieved my makeshift sack and filled it with a couple of pistols, a small emergency pack, and a few other valuable items. Once I slung it over my shoulder, I turned to Chloe, who had the automatic rifle and was studying a long tube leaning against a nearby tree.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“RPG-7,” Chloe replied.

I knew RPG stood for role-playing games, but I didn’t think that applied in this situation. “What?”

“Rocket launcher,” Chloe said. “It’s how they took out the chopper.”

She abruptly turned away from it and began surveying the area. In her wet, tattered shirt, jeans, and black bra, she looked like a blonde, she looked like a blonde, freckled tomb raider.

“Seriously!?” I asked, looking back at the weapon.

“Yep,” she responded.

I stared at it in shock. Hiro Tanaka had just blown me out of the air by hiring mercenaries with rocket launchers. The guys would get a kick out of this, but holy hell… the whole thing had been absolutely terrifying.

“Hey,” Chloe said, pulling me out of my reverie. I looked at her and blinked. “You came for me,” she continued. “You didn’t have to do that.”

I didn’t? That hadn’t occurred to me.

“I couldn’t have just left you to die,” I said, a little horrified that she might think I could have left her.

Chloe stared at me for a long moment, her brown eyes searching mine for… something. “That’s not normally the way the bodyguard thing works.”

“I didn’t do much,” I said. I just shot the one guy. “You’re the one that killed a guy with your feet and bit out the neck of the other one.”

My bodyguard shook her head. “That was a great shot. I know professionals who have missed at those distances with a pistol.”

It was my turn to stare back at her. I couldn’t tell if she was just pumping me up or if she was being genuine, but I’d never really known her to be the type to give out false praise. I felt my cheeks heating a little despite the chill in the air. “Thanks.”

Chloe shook her head. “No. Thank you. I owe you.”

“You saved me in Nevada,” I pointed out.

“You pay me to save you,” Chloe said. She turned and started to walk in a direction with so much purpose that I didn’t even question it.

“You don’t owe me,” I said. “I’m not leaving my friend to die.”

Chloe didn’t respond, but I could tell she was chewing on that thought. After a few minutes, I said, “Do you know where we’re going?”

“Pretty certain,” Chloe said. She pointed in the direction we were headed. “Chopper’s that way. Maybe we can find supplies there and figure out what happened to Astrid.”

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To Be Continued....