Crimson Instinct

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*Xin Lei*

We were walking through the secret door that Rodey showed us when Cocoa started growling.

I narrowed my eyes.

Chu Jie nervously tried to calm Cocoa down. But Cocoa instead bit his pants and began to pull him away.

"Grrr...Arf!"

"Cocoa! We cannot stop here! Let's go."

"Grrr…." He was even fiercer in pulling him now.

Rodey seemed to say something when he got quiet too.

I was keeping an eye on my back, and I was sure that nobody was following us. Then was it…

Suddenly, a light shone on us. I was blinded for a second, and then a second later, I heard somebody talking.

"Arf!"

"So, the boss was right. I cannot believe that Rodey would betray us!"

"Sis...these people... they are the men from the torture room…"

How did they know? Rodey disabled the cameras. Where did they come from?

I looked at Rodey, and instead of looking panicked, he was calm.

"Rodey! You betrayed us! You were going to take them away!"

"Was he a spy all along?"

"If the boss hadn't given up a heads up, then we would have lost them!"

Boss...Zhang Ning…How did she come to know about his plan?

"Rodey, tell us! Are you a spy? Or did you betray us?"

"Did you have a change of heart somehow?" One of them laughed.

Rodey smirked. "Shithheads like you won't understand anyway."

"Rodey! Keep your mouth shut!"

I saw that woman in his arms, slightly getting nervous. I could see her clenching his shirt.

One man sneered. "Now it's better for you all that you just come with us without any protest or the boss has given us the freedom to decide whatever we want."

Fuck. There were four men and a few guards. Rodey, Cocoa, and I could fight but guarding Chu Jie, the man, and woman, and the other woman I was carrying all at once is difficult…

I squinted my gaze.

Difficult or not, we have to get out of here…

Rodey glanced at me for just a second, and I understood it immediately.

*Bang* *Bang*

I shot the guard on my right while Rodey shot on his left. I quickly leaned the woman I was carrying on the wall. Rodey pushed Chu Jie and the other two in a corner too.

I nudged Cocoa, and he jumped onto the guard in front of him.

"Arf!"

"Ah! They are shooting!" One of the men ducked his head. "Guards! Catch them!"

"Sis…"

I shook my head and raised my hand in signal not to move from his spot.

A guard from my rear was about to attack. I ducked and jabbed his legs with my foot. I shot him the moment he stumbled. One other was aiming a punch straight at my face. I bent to my side and grabbed his wrist. I swung it around his back and hit on his back with my knee. And then a follow up with my bullet.

One of the four men was fumbling with his gun, but Rodey shot a bullet through his head, and he collapsed dead. He dealt with the guards in no time.

One by one, the three of us swiftly took care of all. But when I looked back, I froze.

"Sis…"

Chu Jie was crying as one man was pointing his gun at his temple. Two other guards were behind that man and woman too.

When did they come from the back? No, they just snuck in when we were busy fighting, or Cocoa would have sensed them long back.

"Grrr…"

Cocoa was glaring at that man holding Chu Jie. But I quickly held him to stand back.

Rodey took his position, but we heard another voice.

"Don't try that, my right hand."

Zhang Ning…She is here...

She came forward and looked at us one by one. Then her gaze settled on me. She giggled. "Xin Lei. I am impressed. You got out this far."

I just stared at her.

Then she looked at Rodey. "Rodey."

Rodey said nothing either. At this point, denying anything was futile.

"You tried hard, I must say."

That woman looked expressionless when I saw her, but I could see her body slightly trembling.

She was worried about him.

Zhang Ning said, "You looked like as if you didn't care at all that happened to her…"

She tilted her head and stared at that woman.

"But nothing can slip from my eyes. The moment you brought this woman's cousin in the base, I knew something was wrong."

I was taken aback.

Rodey brought the woman that I was carrying on my back?

She was still unconscious on her side.

"You went out of your way to bring her here. You never showed any interest in what was happening inside. But that changed when we brought this woman. Why? Why did you do so much for her?"

Rodey said nothing.

Zhang Ning laughed. "You know how I realized it, Rodey? Because I recognize those feelings myself. You like that woman, don't you?"

So she knew it too?

The woman looked at Rodey, dumbfounded. She almost seemed in disbelief.

"That's why you are 'rescuing' her from this hell, aren't you?" She giggled. "Wow. Love can change a person to this extent...I never knew. My right-hand man is now willing to go against me."

I typed. "What do you understand about love anyway, Zhang Ning? Monsters like you can never know what feelings are. That's why you could murder your mother without any guilt."

He seemed to stiffen for a moment.

I typed. "That's why you could subject your sister to the torture all those years that you should have gone through. You have no sense of feelings because there is this thing you should have in your chest. It beats for others, but yours is dead. Do you know what that is?"

She said nothing.

"It's called a heart. Surely, you would have learned it in your biology class, but a pity that you didn't understand what it is."

"You bitch, you talking too much!" One man roared at me.

Zhang Ning raised her hand. "Take them inside."

Rodey shifted a bit, but she said, "If you don't want me to blast your woman's head into smithereens, then step back. I am very disappointed in you, Rodey. Don't make me anymore angry."