Carter woke up excitedly. Like a kid excited for the first day of school. Although he wasn't expecting Ian there when he opened his eyes.
"Uhh..." he sat up "What are you doing here?"
"Gian asked me to look after you." Ian simply answered sipping a cup of coffee "Did something happened last night?"
Carter stopped, all those wrong things in his head, all possible "happenings", "We surfed, that's all." He answered
Carter got up and made his way to the bathroom, but before he could make it, Ian spoke. "Do you like her?" He asked looking out the ocean
Carter stopped, blinked. The question struck him like lightning, sending sparks to his body. Does he like her? The question echoed in his mind like a broken record, a beautiful picture of a dark haired woman flashed before his eyes.
Before Carter could answer, the door opened. Gian walked in. Her face unreadable as she looked towards Ian, avoiding Carter's gaze.
"Hey! Where have you been?" Carter asked, smiling.
"We have to go." She said pulling her suitcase out and stuffing her things in.
Carter's smile fell, confused, "But our flight is tomorrow." He looked at Gian then to Ian. His eyes needing answers.
Ian turned to Gian, "What happened?" He asked seriously
Gian stopped, turned to Ian, briefly looked at Carter then looked back at her brother. "It's time to set things right."
"What the he—" "Get down!"
Before Carter could finish his words, Gian jumped to him, bringing him down. Her voice muffled in his ears as everything went slow motion, the next thing he knew Gian was holding a gun, shooting while dragging him behind a wall.
"Stay here. Stay low." She instructed before she disappeared from his sight.
Gian shouted to Ian saying she needs a cover for a little while. Ian, although not a violent person, took the gun and started shooting the men in black who barged in their door, all holding guns. All looking murderous.
When Gian pulled the gun under the bed, she turned back to the men and started her own fight. One men was able to punched her in the face making her bleed, although it didn't hit as much as of the moment. She fell on her knees, but immediately got up and spit out the blood in her mouth. The man thrusting his gun on her forehead, "What do you want?"
"Nothing. It's an order." The man answered as she kicked him and pulling him down. She got on top of him and started punching.
Ian on the other hand was still on his feet, throwing punches after kicks, as he bleed. The man tackled him down, while Ian tried to take the gun from him.
As Gian continuously punched the passed out man under her, another man was slowly reaching for a gun nearby. By now Ian was on his feet, clutching his bleeding arm when he saw the man.
"Gian!" Ian shouted before a gunshot was heard. Wide eyed he tried to run to the man. It was too late when he heard the gun shot.
Blinking, Ian looked at Gian who's as stunned as he was. The man dropped on the floor, dead. A bullet in his head. When they both realized that either of them was holding a gun, their eyes searched the room, until it fell on Carter.
He was holding a gun, his face as surprised as the two are.
Did he just shot the man? He slowly lowered the gun. Not knowing what to say.
"We have to go." Gian said and Ian nodded
"I'll stay. The FBI will be here any minute. I'll tell them, Carter is fine." Ian said as another set of gunshot was heard, he looked at Gian and throw her a key. "To the garage. You can find my car. Take it."
Gian nodded and pulled Carter out of the room, running towards the exit. Good thing they're only on the second floor. Although, the fall could still make some damage, it wouldn't kill them.
"Jump!" She instructed Carter who looked at her, horrified. "It would break some bones, but that's nothing compared to bullets in your body."
Carter didn't have the chance to answer as Gian pulled him with her. They grunted in pain as their body hit the ground. Breaking the glass towards the garage and run towards the car.
"I'll drive." Carter volunteered and Gian immediately gave him the keys as they slid into the car.
Good thing, the men stopped following them of maybe they lost them. Gian sighed, letting the breath she didn't know she was holding. When she turned to Carter, he was smiling. "You were amazing out there."
She stopped when she noticed something's seeping though Carter's dark shirt's sleeve. Her eyes narrowed as she examined it closely, "You're shot?!" She exclaimed at Carter, that made Carter flinched. The car swayed for a moment. "Unbelievable."
"What?" He asked "Humans bleed." He said with a grin.
***
"I said stop the car!" Gian exclaimed angrily.
For the past two hours, Carter declined to be treated after Gian tied a piece of cloth around his gun wound to stop himself from bleeding, saying he can do it then continued driving. That made Gian angrier.
"If you want to die, you could have said a long time ago. I could've shoot you myself." She said as Carter sighed parking the car on the nearby convenience store in a gasoline station.
Carter looked at her, smiling. "You don't mean that."
Gian's jaw locked in fury: because her brain agreed with him. Her palm turn to fist. She got out of the car, slamming the door behind her before she could strangle him. God knows how badly her mind is racing right now, and her heart.
She entered the store, get something for Carter's wounds. She also got some food and drinks. When she reached for the counter, the boy behind the register looked at her almost hyperventilating. "You're... y-you're..." with wide eyed, he can't finish her words
Gian looked around to see for anyone else and found none. It was just her and the boy.
She put everything in the counter, "Hurry up. I don't have so much time."
The boy snapped out of himself and hurriedly scanned the products, one by one, while his hands was shaking. "Aren't you Gian Wilson, the surfer?" He nervously asked "I'm your fan! I really admire you. I surf too. I have all your videos from your competition—"
While pulling some bills out of her pocket, she paused. "No." She answered without blinking, looking at the boy who's now more horrified than ever.
When he was done putting it in the bag, he flashed her a smile. She took it and walked towards the door, but when she was about to grab the handle, the boy spoke. "You're the first customer who came in today, I hope you have a good day."
She stopped. Sighed and walked back.
With wide eyes, the boys faced drained in color as he stepped back. Gian doesn't know how rugged she look at that moment for the boy to almost run for the hills, but she didn't care.
She pulled a roll of money from her back pocket— Quite an amount of money— and dropped it on the counter. "You surf?"
The boy nodded.
"Then what the hell are you doing here?" Gian raised her brow at him, "Go out there and surf." She said walking out
The boy swallowed hard looking at the money in the counter as Gian walked out of the store like any other customer.
She wasn't being nice. She just don't like him talking so much. Or maybe she does— a little bit.
Hearing people admire her give Gian a different kind of warmth inside.
Deep down inside Gian's heart, there's still compassion for those people who has the same passion as her. The same love she has for the ocean.
Furthermore, for the first time in months someone recognize her, without introductions. For the first time in months, someone called her with her name without hesitation. And she didn't expect that.
She scoffed, "Fan?" She murmured with a small smile "Fan my ass" she shook her head