Crimson Instinct

*Bai Li*

Just a staircase above us, I heard some movement. I narrowed my eyes. It was definitely a guard.

"Let's bring him to us."

I tapped my foot lightly, just enough for him to hear. We ducked under cover.

"Huh?" He mumbled. "16. Is that you?"

His footsteps, as he climbed down the stairs, grew closer and louder. I stood in between the first and second steps and waited.

He almost seemed to reach the end. My cheeks felt cold. I felt a light gust of air touch them. That meant he was within my reach.

Three seconds and he would turn.

Three, two, one.

I climbed a step, and I must be in his complete view now. With his last footsteps, I felt that we stood facing each other. I moved my torso forward and headbutted straight at his face. I heard his steps stagger and sensed him stumble behind farther away from me. Then a thud as he fell.

I jumped to his side and kicked on his abdomen.

"Ahhh-"

I cut off his painful groans as I roughly shot at his face.

Silence.

"That was neat," I heard Xin Zhen say.

"Hey, 21! What was that noise?"

I heard another set of footsteps coming from above me from my left. Another guard.

"I will take care of him,"

And Xin Zhen did a few seconds later. The smell of gunpowder hit my nostrils, and then I heard another thud.

"Let's move."

Counting the steps in my head, we climbed towards the second floor. We stopped at the base between the first and second floors. I concentrated on any sounds I could hear.

But there was none.

Zhang Xiulan said, "It seems awfully quiet here. But I can hear whispers from the corridor."

I nodded.

We quietly climbed the stairs. I stuck to the side of the wall near the entrance. The guards seemed to be a little far from us.

Zhang Xiulan said, "They seem to be busy talking."

That was in our favor. We had the element of surprise. I gauged the distance. The guard's voice nearest to me sounded approximately twenty degrees to my right.

I said, "I will take the guard on my right."

Zhu Yusheng said, "I will take the other one."

We got in our positions. I raised my gun.

Headshot wasn't necessary. Centre mass was good enough as long as he was disabled.

I fired, and so did Zhu Yusheng at the same time.

Two bullets. Two thuds.

Silence.

"Let's go to the third floor."

But I stopped because just then, I had a click sound. It was unmistakable. Years of training, and I knew somebody else was behind us.

"Get down!"

"Get down!"

Xin Zhen and I said at the same time.

*Bang*

I moved to my left and felt my way with my hands. There was a pillar, and I quickly took cover.

That third guard might have been in a classroom. We missed him. This was a problem because our guns had silencers. His wasn't.

So the shot he fired echoed throughout the building. That meant the other guards we were yet to finish were alert by now.

I heard more footsteps coming our way.

Just how many guards were here?

"Stop whoever you are! Come out!"

"There is nowhere to go! Come out, you bastards! Who dared to enter here?"

I hoped Zhang Xiulan and Zhu Yusheng were fine. 

I heard footsteps coming from above me. The third-floor guards were joining in too. That was just great.

"Ahh!"

"Hey come- ughh..."

That sound came opposite to me. It meant either Zhang Xiulan or Zhu Yusheng killed them. But there were more.

A guard was coming closer to my place, too, as I heard his footsteps. I waited until he was parallel to me, side by side. I smelled the faint cologne as he came closer. That was the moment. I grabbed his hand and knocked out his gun. 

"Ughh bastard!"

Since I caught his right hand, I knew he would swing his fist with his left on my face. It was just as I expected when I heard the sound of his knuckles cracking.

I tilted my head to the side and jabbed a knee straight at his abdomen. I fired twice at him. He was dead.

"Bai Li!" Xin Zhen said, "We will handle the guards here and join you later. You know the route. Get going."

"I cannot-"

"Do as he says, Bai Li!" Zhang Xiulan yelled, "You are closest to the staircase."

There was no time. Every moment was precious. I had to leave these guards to them.

The guards from above almost seemed to reach me. I heard footsteps on the right, and I immediately fired a shot.

I got a clear path ahead, and I knew that they had taken care of them.

From my earpiece, I heard Luo Zhiqiang's voice, "Bai Li. A guard at ten o clock position."

I fired a shot at that angle. I kept going and reached the third floor. From the railing, I felt my way and found the pillar just like there was one on the bottom below. I took cover and shut my eyes to pinpoint any sound I hear.

Footsteps, click, smell, instinct anything...

"I don't hear any sound."

Luo Zhiqiang's voice again crackled through the earpiece. "I don't see anybody ahead. But be on your guard."

"As always."

I slowly stepped out.

Was it that all guards came down on the second floor?

No.

They are hiding too. It was impossible to leave an entire floor unattended. I took slow, unhurried steps towards the corridor.

There was silence. The air was still.

But then I heard something. A slight metallic clink but not of a gun. Maybe a watch.

I moved but it was a second too late. I felt a hit on my shoulder and staggered towards the wall. I knew another fist was on my way. I jumped to the side.

Then I heard Luo Zhiqiang's voice.

"Bai Li. Are you alright? Can you hear me? Did something happen to the camera? I cannot see the video anymore."