Crimson Instinct

*Xin Lei*

Damn! Chu Jie, that man and woman are still tied up to that pole. If I don't do something, then they can attack them.

"Arf!"

On my right, Cocoa already fiercely jumped on his prey. I ducked and hid behind a pillar and grabbed a gun from the guard I had knocked out with my feet.

Rodey effortlessly fought men on his side too. But I worried he wouldn't be able to do it for long. His injuries would weaken him until he could fight no more.

I hoped Bai Li and bro reach us until that happened.

I peeked from the pillar but didn't find Zhang Ning.

Where is she? Where did she go?

Did she take the cover of her men and slipped away?

But I couldn't brood on it anymore because I saw a man's shadow coming towards me. I took a step back and let him walk beside him. As soon as he arrived at my side, I jumped behind him. Before he could turn his head, I already fired a shot.

I had to go to Chu Jie's side at any cost.

They were still two poles apart from me, and I quickly ran towards them, wasting no time. But suddenly, I felt somebody grab my shoulder.

Ugh...I feel as if I will break my bone.

He pulled me towards him, but I came back with my own fist aiming at his mouth. He turned his head sideways, and I missed it just by an inch. At the same time, his punch came flying at me. I dodged it by a hair's breadth, ducking low.

But it wasn't a moment to rejoice because his kick was aimed next at my abdomen. I jumped in the air and jabbed a straight upper knee cut on his chest.

"Ugh…"

He stumbled, and his hold over my shoulder loosened a bit. I twirled around and broke free and, in that split second, shot him in the head.

He was dead, and so did I feel that my shoulder was too.

Ow! Ow!

I slightly massaged my shoulder.

Ah, it hurts...He almost broke my clavicle. Bastard!

"You are dead!"

Another man was heading straight for me.

I wanted to raise my gun, but it was too painful at my shoulder that I trembled a little.

I am not going to make it this way...

But then suddenly, a huge body charged on him. His sharp teeth bit on his face hard.

"Ahhhh!!! My face! Get away!

Cocoa! Ah, thank God...I thought I was dead.

Cocoa dealt with him, and in just a few strikes, he laid dead.

"Arf!" He hopped onto my side and licked my hand.

I ruffled his furry head and smiled.

You came on time.

We had no time and dashed towards Chu Jie and the others. As expected, a man was close to attacking them.

I narrowed my eyes, and despite the pain shooting in my shoulder, I raised my gun and shot him. Cocoa killed another man on his way too.

"Sis…" Chu Jie was crying.

I shook my head and mouthed.

'I will get you out of here.'

"No, sis...you get away!"

The man said, "Don't waste your time helping us. We are tied! Run away."

The woman nodded. "Yes. This is your time to escape. Don't think about us."

I shook my head again and quickly scrambled to untie them.

"Hey, you! You think you can take them away!"

Two men were going to pounce on my side, but suddenly, they collapsed on the floor with two holes in their heads.

Rodey bent towards the woman's side. She looked at his wounds and bit his lip.

"Rodey...you-"

"I am fine."

Rodey narrowed his eyes at me. "I will take care of her. You do whatever you want to do with those two."

My mouth twitched. I looked around to see that the room was quieter than before. 

Wait. There weren't these fewer people before.

I signed to him.

Where did the others go?

He sneered. "Bastards are hiding. You see, we took care of all the guards, but the minions who torture people aren't fighters like them. In their regular life, they are just white-collar workers, so of course, they would run away from that dog and us when they don't know how to put up a fight."

He laughed. "They can only use tools to torture others but don't have the balls actually to attack us."

"Grrr…"

I blinked my eyes.

That wasn't good. We cannot let them escape!

"I know what you are thinking. They will surely bite back in the ass if not caught. But right now, I just want to get babe away from this place."

I slowly nodded.

Getting them out is the main priority now.

We quickly untied them. 

"Sis!"

Chu Jie tightly hugged me and cried. I patted his head. 

The man said, "But from where will we escape?"

Zhang Ning's secret route was dangerous too and so was outside the room where Bai Li and bro were fighting.

Suddenly we saw something thrown at our side.

I frowned.

"Fuck! It's a smoke bomb!" Rodey yelled.

I widened my eyes.

The ball moved, and loads of white smoke started dispersing outside in heavy density. Chu Jie and the man started coughing.

"Arf! Arf!"

"Babe! Stay with me."

That Zhang Ning wanted us to get separated in this fog and take advantage of this.

I pulled Chu Jie and that man to my side.

"Sis, I cannot see anything."

"This smoke is tearing up my eyes…" The man mumbled.

That was true. I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes, as well. A tear rolled down my cheek.

Ugh, this is not good. How can I fight with such a blurry gaze? I will be killed in no time.

I couldn't even see anything. Rodey and that woman were almost invisible.

Calm down. I cannot panic. The more I panic, the more I will miss out on details.

Then I heard somebody's steps coming my way.

"Heh! You cannot run away."

It was a man's voice.

"You cannot see in this dense fog, but we can," he laughed. "The smoke must be making you cry, right? That's so fucking awesome! Now let me see how you escape. Haha, you cannot even fight anymore! The real fight begins now!"