"Are you looking for them?" a voice called out from the shadows.
"Eh?! You!" I froze. Standing in the middle of the ruined living room was a man I never thought I'd see again.
"Long time no see, Silvia," he sneered. "I was surprised to hear you were still breathing. I almost didn't believe these two when they claimed they didn't know you."
"Let them go, Gilbert!" I growled, my finger tensing on the trigger.
"Oh, I'm flattered you still remember me, Miss Military Killer!" Gilbert pressed the barrel of his gun into Erina's neck. "As for letting them go... you know the drill. Give me the flash drive and come with me quietly. I'm sure you understand the alternative."
Erina whimpered, her eyes wide with terror. "He-lp..."
"You brat!" I hissed.
"Dream on, Gilbert," Kail added, stepping up beside me, his gun leveled at the other mercenaries in the room.
"Whoa... this time you brought your Prince Charming," Gilbert mocked. "Not bad."
I caught Kail's eye for a fraction of a second and gave him a subtle wink. Ready.
"Alright... as you wish," I said, my voice suddenly calm. "I'll give you the flash drive. I'll go with you."
"Good girl," Gilbert smirked. "Now, drop the gun and walk toward me."
"Okay... but you know, I've been in a coma for a long time," I said, slowly lowering the weapon as if to place it on the floor. "I'm not sure I'm as good as I used to be. I might have forgotten how to shoot properly..."
"What are you talking about? Hurry up!"
"I mean..." I suddenly lunged forward, snapping the gun back up in a blur of motion. "...LET ME SHOW YOU MY ABILITIES!"
— BANG! —
The bullet struck Gilbert's hand, sending his gun flying. Before he could recover, I was on him, delivering a crushing kick to his chest that sent him crashing through a coffee table.
Simultaneously, Kail opened fire, his shots taking down the mercenary holding Jane and her mother.
"Argh! You bitch!" Gilbert screamed, clutching his bleeding hand. "Kill them! Get them now!"
"Jane, get your mother out of here!" I shouted over the gunfire. "Erina, move! Now!"
"Go and hide!" Kail roared.
Jane and the others didn't need to be told twice. They scrambled out the back door as the room turned into a chaotic battlefield.
"Just a few of us left now," I said, a dark smile playing on my lips. "Much better."
"I should have shot you in the head back then!" Gilbert spat, struggling to stand. "I'll send you to hell myself!"
"So it was you who shot me," I said, my eyes turning to ice. "I'm almost grateful. But I think you'll be the one visiting hell today."
"He's the last one," Kail said, stepping over the unconscious bodies of the other henchmen.
I blinked. "You took them all down already? You're fast... good job. Then this one is mine!"
"You think you can kill me?" Gilbert sneered, reaching into his vest.
Suddenly, a glass canister smashed through the window, erupting into a thick, grey cloud.
"Cough! Cough!"
"It's a gas bomb! Don't breathe it in!" Kail shouted.
"I know... what... it is...!" I tried to hold my breath, but the gas was overwhelming.
Kail suddenly tackled me to the ground, shielding me with his body. By the time the smoke cleared, Gilbert was gone.
"Kail... get off me!" I gasped.
He scrambled up, looking slightly embarrassed. "Ah! Sorry."
"Gilbert's gone! Damn it!" I slammed my fist against the floor. "I swear, I'll kill him next time!"
"He's gone, but his men are still here," Kail said, looking at the groaning mercenaries on the floor. "My backup is arriving. We need to move."
"Are you hurt?" I asked, checking my own gear.
"No. You?"
"I'm fine. We have to find Erina and the others."
Outside
By the time we stepped out, the street was swarming with military vehicles. Kail's soldiers were already securing the area.
"Greetings, General!" a soldier saluted.
"Interrogate the survivors inside," Kail ordered. "Find out where their extraction point was."
"Erina, are you okay?" I asked, finding her huddled near a transport truck.
"I'm fine," she whispered, still trembling.
"Jane, how's your mom?"
"She'll be okay," Jane said, looking at me with awe. "Thank you... for everything."
"Don't thank me yet. I owe you for taking care of my body," I said. "We'll provide you with a safe place to stay for a while. Once this is over, you can go back to your lives."
"Kail, back to the base?"
"Of course."
The Drive Back
The silence in the car was heavy. I looked at Erina, who was staring out the window. "Erina... do you remember anything? From the dream? Or before?"
"No," she said softly. "I remember being at the University and everything you did while you were... me. But before that? It's all a blur."
"I see." I leaned back. Why did this happen? Why her? Why me?
"What will I do now?" Erina asked.
"We're sending you to stay with your mother," I said. "And I'm going to save your father."
"But I want to help!"
"You can't. It's too dangerous."
"Actually," Kail interjected, glancing at me through the rearview mirror. "I think she might be able to help us later. But for now, stay with your mom. We'll contact you when the time is right."
"What do you mean, Kail?" I asked, suspicious.
"You'll find out soon enough."
The Military Base: Night
After Erina was safely settled with her mother, Kail and I retreated to his office.
"You don't want to tell your father you're alive?" he asked. "Or go back to your old unit?"
"No," I said, staring at the flash drive on his desk. "It's better if they think I'm still missing. I'm not going back until I finish this. Don't ask me anything else."
"Alright," Kail sighed. "About the mission tomorrow... I need a female companion to go undercover with me at the casino."
I stared at him. "Oh, REALLY?"
"Wait... well, you are a woman," he said, sounding genuinely confused by his own logic.
I stood up, my eyes blazing with fake fury. "Seriously?! I had no idea I was female, Kail! Thank you for the incredible discovery! What would I do without your genius observations?!"
"What? What did I say?" Kail stammered as I stormed toward the door.
"GOODNIGHT, TIGER!" I slammed the door behind me.
Kail blinked at the empty office. "What did I do wrong?"
~ to be continued