BESTOWED

Chapter 29: Traitor

"Kim Jisoo-sii!" I hear Captain Mithra Jin's voice. "I know you're in there!"

I bite my lip. I look down on my left shoulder. I'm hurt. While i was busy running away from my pursuers, i haven't realized that i already took a bullet from one of the blank soldiers. I wince in pain.

"Just cooperate and we won't hurt you." The older man continues. "You're already surrounded."

I pant, trying to catch my breath. I close my eyes. I'm starting to get dizzy now. Lossing too much blood is taking its toll already.

I open my eyes and look around, hoping to find an escape route. It seems like i'm in an abandoned factory. It's dark and quiet. The days i spent running away and trying to stay hidden as long as i could were wasted when they spotted me lurking around the shop where i used to work. It's a good thing that i can nullify Lisa's and Hyunhyeong's stows. I somehow bought enough time to hide myself longer.

"Kim Jisoo-ssi!" The captain calls again from the outside. "This is your last warning."

I gulp. I reach out to touch my handgun. If possible, i don't want to use this against them. I don't want to hurt other people. I close my eyes and tighten my grip on my gun.

"Kim Hanbin." I whisper.

I feel my lips quiver. I really miss him. I just realized now how lonely it is without him. I hug myself. I flinch when i hear footsteps coming inside the building.

"There she is!" One of the soldiers points his gun at me.

I grunt and move to run away.

"After her!" The captain yells. "Shoot her if you must! We musn't let her roam free outside the Den."

The blank soldiers start to fire. I gasp and almost stumble on the ground when i feel a stinging pain on my right leg. I bite my lip and force myself to move, dragging my hurt leg with me.

I hide myself behind the conveyor machine and start firing my own gun. I need to get out of this place but how? I check my ammo and did a mental cursing. It's not enough. I look around desperately. Then i hear footsteps and the creaking sound their feet produce against the metal floor. My eyes widen. I try to feel the floor and true enough, there's a basement just below us.

"Where's the girl?" I hear one of the blanks asks.

"I don't know." The other blank answers. "I just saw her hide here somewhere."

I have to get down into the basement but where's the entrance leading to it? I bite my lip harder. I pause when an idea pops up inside my head. I try knocking the floor under me then check my ammo. This is my last shot. If my plan doesn't work, i'll be a goner.

I take a deep breath. My left arm and right leg are already bleeding from the bullets i took but i force myself to stand up anyway. This is it. I point my gun below me and start to fire. I fire while turning around. I know blanks will start to notice the gunshots and my position will be comprimised but this is my last chance to get out of here so i keep firing.

"There she is!"

"What is she doing?"

"Stop her!"

The blank soldiers start firing in my direction but i don't pay any attention to them. I just keep firing my gun below. I feel a bullet grazing my left cheek and i wince in pain. Some of blanks pause and stare at me questioningly.

"What is she planning?" One of the blank soldiers asks. "Why does she keep firing below?"

"She lost her mind." The other one mumbles.