She was there… or she wasn’t.. He really didn’t care because if all this were mere hallucination, it seemed so real.
Julian thought as he caressed the nap of Joanna a bit too roughly while he deepened the kiss more and more until it was impossible to go in further.
“Anna.” He kept saying every time they pulled away to take a sharp intake of breath.
He wasn’t sure if this was real or just a dream, but he could feel as his brain started to clear out from the haze.
A stirring noise outside made them stop and catch their breath.
“Miss?” Marshal’s head popped inside the doorframe, “Are you alright?”
“y.. yes.” Joanna said rather quickly, a light pink warming her cheeks. “did you get the guy?”
“‘Coarse I did!” Marshal beamed, showing her his missing tooth.
Julian was still starring at her as he adjusted to his realistic surrounding. Now that they weren’t kissing anymore, a crashing wave of emotions swapped by him. It wasn’t happiness, it wasn’t relief. It was… Anger.
It might have been the drug lingering effect, but Julian was still wounded at the way things ended up between them. and although it wasn’t the perfect time to conjure such emotion, he couldn’t help but feel sad and angry.
Was she still insecure about him? Did she really trust him? Did she still love him?
Of coarse she does, why else would she be here, risking her life for your sorry ass? A small rational voice pierced through his hazed thoughts, but he shoved it away.
“We need to leave.” Joanna turned from the large guy, Marshal, and faced him. Her face was all business like. He knew she acted like that because of the situation they were in, but what if she only felt cold towards him.
Nasty.. Nasty thoughts.
“You alright?” Joanna’s voice softened as she looked up his face. He must’ve looked like a mess. She was looking at him, green eyes wide with… what? Concern?
Julian cleared his throat and looked away. “Fine. Let’s go.” He said in his cracked voice.
Joanna frowned at his respond but didn’t argue. She turned to face Marshal again. “Let’s go back.”
“What are you saying?” Fernando shouted at his walky-talky that connected him with Mark who was watching the outside for them.
“I am telling you, there’s more of them coming to you. Many many more.” Came Mark’s hushed respond.
“Give me a number!” Fernando inquired, trying in his head to go over a different plan of retreatment. Marshal had already informed him that they had Drake.
“I don’t know.. About….ah… fifteen probably maybe more.”
Fernando growled at the unspecific answer. He always preferred for his plans to be accurate. This one was going crashing the more he thought about it.
“Alright, stay where you are. Boss and the others should be on their way out anyway. He should be able to stop them.” he said finally and finished the call. He turned at the men at his side and told them to retreat. He also called for a few others who were closer to where Joanna and Marshal went and told them to make sure she got out… with or without Drake.
Mark laid down more on the back car seat as he watched the other men park and move to the warehouse. At this rate, we would have no chance against them, Mark thought.
One of the men looked distinctively different, with his creamy strapped suite that seemed as if it came out of the 70s.
That must be Peter White, Mark thought and cringed inwardly. This was getting more and more complicated.
He tightened his hand around the gun he had and tried to lay down even more. He was to down that he wasn’t able to see anything from the window anymore when a loud crash came above him and he realized too late that the window was smashed and a large hand went inside and grabbed him by his hair.
He tried to shoot the gun at whoever it was as he was dragged out from the window, but failed miserably to do so.
“Augh.” Mark groaned in pain when the man who dragged half his body out of the car’s window pressed his gun on his right eye forcefully.
“No! Wait!” mark yelled in panic when he saw the look on the stranger’s eyes that told him he wasn’t hesitating to kill him right then and there. But before he could say anything else, his left eye widened in horror as he saw the man’s finger pressing on the trigger and then he heard the loud, horrifying sound of the gun going off.
Isaac was fidgeting at the entrance of the warehouse inside. He didn’t like that he had to stay and wait while the others ran around inside. He looked at the two dead men at the floor, and looked away.
He was thrilled when he heard that Joanna got to Julian and that he was alive. But he was so worry about his condition. Did he have all his limbs? What exactly did they do to him in the past five days? Joanna wasn’t specific when she transferred the news to him. He just hoped his friend was still sane and intact.
Suddenly, a noise came from right outside the gate of the warehouse, and he knew it wouldn’t be one of their men because no one informed him about any incomers.
He signaled for the two men who stood with him and they understood too as they moved around, angling their weapons toward any incomers.
The steps sound neared and Isaac gulped nervously. Right when the sounds were too close from the door, it stopped. Isaac frowned and looked at the other two who shrugged.
He looked back at the partially opened gate and pressed his back more to the wall he was hiding behind before he saw it.
A small, round object was thrown inside the door and rolled on the floor. Isaac’s eyes widened as he recognized the object that he never saw before except in movies.
Military movies.
He jumped further and yelled to the other two as he shield himself “DUUUUUUCK!”
And the small round bomb went off with a loud BOOOOM.
“What the hell was that?” Joanna hissed as they took a cover behind one of the walls.
“Sounded like an explosion.” Marshal responded, pressing his gun tighter against his chest as he looked around the edge of the wall.
“Do you think they will be alright?” Joanna said as she half covered Julian’s body behind her. He was so stiff and he was acting weird.
“We have to remain quiet.” Marshal said in a hushed tone.
Couple of footsteps disturbed the silence and Joanna gulped in dreadful anticipation. Will they be caught? What about the others?
“I want every inch searched. They are still here, he is still here!” a voice bellowed at the others and Joanna felt Julian stiffen even more behind her. she turned to look at him and to give him an assuring nod, but he didn’t look up to meet her eyes. A confused frown creased her forehead before she turned back and readied her position for any attacks.
“look miss,” Marshal said in a low tone once the noises outside subsided, “We might need to separate. I’ll distract them and you and… him,” he jerked his head toward Julian, “take the chance to runaway.”
“Are you kidding? They’ll kill you!” Joanna admonished in a whisper.
“Please don’t underestimate me miss.” Marshal said and flashed her a wide toothed smile. “I’ll try to catch up to you once I am done with’em.”
Joanna wanted to argue further but she couldn’t see any other way. She nodded and, realizing Julian’s confusing state, grabbed his arm so she could pull him with her when the time came. His arm was limb in hers and unresponsive.
“Ready?” Marshal said and Joanna nodded again, raising her gun up and inching closer to the edge of the wall.
“Now!”
Joanna grabbed Julian and sprang to the right turn while Marshal went to the left where the intruding men from before went.
“Stop them!” Joanna heard someone bellow behind them before two loud gunshots were shot.
“Hurry up!” she told Julian over her shoulder. He was running, but he was swaying as he did it, making it difficult to keep her grip on him.
“This way.” she told him as she took a sharp turn to the right. Truthfully, she had no idea where they were, but every time she heard noises she ran to the opposite direction.
Suddenly, Julian pulled his hand away from hers, startling her in the process.
“What…” Joanna started to say before she saw his expression. Oddly enough, he looked angry.
And he seemed angry with her.
“Marshal! Where are you?” Fernando yelled at his talky. Peter’s men ambushed them but he easily wiped out the six men who attacked his party.
“I am trying to get away from them.” Marshal said in heaved voice. He was running, Fernando noted.
“Is Joanna with you? Marshal!” Fernando called again once he felt the signal being cut. “MARSHAL!”
“…not…. Me…” he heard, many words getting cut out of marshal’s speech. But Fernando could figure out that he meant that she wasn’t with him.
Cursing loudly, he stormed forward, the men with him following him quickly. “Where to, sir?” one of them asked.
“We need to go check on the explosion site.” He said briskly and pulled his talky out of his pocket again, “All unit, retreat, right now. Anyone who find Joanna on his way, grab her along with them.” he through his order and walked faster.
“What’s wrong with you?” Joanna hissed when they were crouching on the ground, waiting for the right time to move.
Julian’s kept looking away, his jaw tense with restrain.
Joanna huffed and tried to ignore his mood as she listened closer to any movement outside.
“Come on.” She told him and stood up, to her surprise, he complied, but kept ignoring looking at her.
she walked slowly around the hallway they were in and found staird to the upper and lower floor. She was about to decide which to take when she heard footsteps coming from the upper floor.
Before she could grab Julian, he pulled her instead to the stairs that led down. He walked faster once they were down. It felt like a dungeon and Joanna knew they were probably underground.
“Hold on.” Joanna hissed as he grabbed her arm behind him. He didn’t stop as he looked around for a place to hide. She knew it was a bad idea for them to go downstairs because there were no getting out of here.
“Julian! Stop!” Joanna said angrily, pulling her arm form his grip. He ignored her and walked forward until he found a door. He cautiously opened it, looking inside.
He he opened the door wider and looked at her.
Joanna looked unsure. She hesitated for a moment before she shook her head. “we can’t go in there. We’ll be locked and no one will find us.”
Julian’s tired eyes narrowed suspiciously. “So, you still don’t trust me.” He said, finally speaking after the long dreadful silent.
But those words tore through her heart.
He was still angry with her, she realized. Among all the chaos, she didn’t think he’d still be angry at what happened between them.
Immediately her shoulders tensed, and she opened her mouth to say something but closed it again, not sure if he’d take anything she says.
The sound of footsteps descending the stairs at the beginning of the hallway startled her and she walked quickly inside the opened door, Julian following her and closing the door behind him.
Julian wasn’t sure what was wrong with him. Why was he so angry at her? was it the drug effect that made his ugly emotions surface outside when the truth was that he was truly glad to see her safe and sound.
But he was so furious every time he looked at her. she hurt him deeply, and maybe if his mind wasn’t a mess right then, he’d have easily forgiven everything. But he couldn’t feel forgiveness.
Not that easily.
Still facing the door and before he could stop himself, he said, “I didn’t need your help. You shouldn’t have come here.” He didn’t sound concerned for her, he sounded angry and indifferent of her effort.
He cursed himself inwardly for being so cold, but he still said, “I don’t need you in my life.”
Although his back was to her, he could feel the shiver that went through her as she heard his harsh cold declaration.
Well, shit.
P.S.
Hello all, sorry of there were mistakes. I only had time to write! So no editing was done >..<
Julian is being an ass, I know. Joanna need to slap some sense into him, will do.
And what about Mark and Isaac situations? tough point, huh? Don’t be angry at me if one of the character were….. You know, gone or something.
Fernando must be freaking out, please do imagine the cool guy loose his cool ;p
Next chapter is the final chapter, but there’s and epilog afterward, so look forward to it.
Give me your thoughts and comments, a word would do <3 and vote if you like <3
Red