Darkness and Destiny: A Guardian Story

Chapter Five: The Battle

Shen Wei watched in horror as only four police officers, Zhao Yunlan included, faced off against ten armed criminals who refused to stand down.  He took a look at the faces of the gang members.  They did not look like men who were about to surrender, but not one of them had fired a shot.  It was almost as if they were waiting for something.

Before he could even form his previous thought, an almighty crash resonated around the cavernous space as a black van crashed through the large warehouse doors and came to a screeching stop in the centre.  As the side doors slid open, six men jumped out, each armed with assault rifles.  They were clearly not police.  This was what the rest of the gang had been waiting for.

Zhao Yunlan and his colleagues were in a world of trouble.  He only had time to call out for them to take cover before the hail of bullets began.  He turned and began to run back towards the safety of the wooden pallets behind him, but a sudden stinging sensation in his right calf brought him to the ground, the impact sending his weapon flying out of his hand.

Shen Wei saw Yunlan go down and immediately reacted.  Dashing out from the safety of his hiding place, he reached the fallen detective in seconds and gripping him firmly by the shoulders, hauled him to cover, shielding the man's body with his own.

Feeling the police chief squirm beneath him, he whispered.

"Don't move.  You've been shot in the leg.  It doesn't look too bad but the best thing you can do is stay here."

Yunlan's heart was already pounding in his chest, adrenaline racing through his body, and the low, melodic voice of Black Robe so close to his ear was doing nothing to help.  He gathered his composure.

"I need my gun."

"Like I said, stay here.  I'll get it."

Before Yunlan could raise any objection, the weight on his body lifted, and his saviour was gone.

The sound of gunfire was still cutting through the air, only seconds having passed since the initial barrage of bullets.  As far as he knew, Black Robe did not carry a weapon.  He struggled to a seated position, his back against the wooden pallets, and craned his neck to try to see what was happening in the centre of the warehouse, but it was no use.

Reaching up, he tapped on his earpiece.

"Sheng.  You there?"

"Zhao!  Good to hear you're still alive.  I saw you go down."

"Just a flesh wound.  You?"

"A few scratches.  The others are fine, too."

"What happened to the back-up?"

"They came under fire as they approached the building.  They're boxed in about twenty metres out.  I've called for reinforcements.  Think we can hold on for five minutes?"

Five minutes was a long time when you were out-manned and out-gunned, but it seemed as though there was no other option.  Yunlan was about to respond when he felt the cold metal of his service weapon being pressed into his hand.  Looking up, he saw a pair of dark brown eyes studying him intently.

"How long?"

"Five minutes for reinforcements.  The rest of our people are taking fire just a few metres away, though.  If they can break through..."

His companion stood and looked towards the entrance to the warehouse, then crouched back down almost immediately.

"Will you be okay on your own?"

"Wait!"  Yunlan's voice was almost frantic.  "I didn't mean that you should go out there.  You don't even have a gun.  It's too dangerous."

"I'll be fine."