The Hidden Toxin ✔(#6 in the Our Side of The Dice Series)

Chapter 20: The Pool and The Vat

Bam!

A loud, succinct noise interrupted Ebun's inner lamentations. It was a sound that could not be ignored—primarily because of the suddenness and the timing with which it had come into the hearing. Mrs. Yekaterina had even flinched. Seconds after the sound traveled into the air, the post-graduate man who was running into the woods that comprised of leafless trees now fell to the ground.

"Argh!" he groaned as he fell, holding his right ankle a bit too tightly. Blood started to drip through the spaces in his fingers. A new hole had been drilled into the ankle that caused blood to gush out.

Ebun turned to the source of the sound. Standing behind her was the glorious Sean with a revolver in his hands, in shooting mode. He was standing outside the shed that Ebun had earlier suspected he was hiding. He looked brutal than she had ever seen him—with a bandolier tied to his waist, he was wearing a black vest paired with camouflage khaki pants. His dark skin was glistening smoothly than ever under the sun.

Sean could feel Ebun's eyes on him, but he had to stay focused because he couldn't afford to look back at her even for a second—even though deep down, Sean wished he could because he could sense that she had been crying.

Ebun's heart leaped for joy as she gazed at him. She wished she hadn't concluded so easily. How had she forgotten so quickly that Sean was somewhere around and wouldn't let the man go scot-free? She'd let her memories and fears get the best of her.

Bam!

Ebun flinched this time and snapped out of her thoughts as she saw Sean pull the trigger. Quickly, she turned after the second sound wave sojourned through the air speedily. The bullet landed accurately on his left ankle.

Apparently, he'd managed to stand up and continue escaping from the abandoned park. He'd been using the bark of one of the trees for support but with both ankles now shot, he fell straight to the ground, unable to move.

After successfully decapacitating the post-graduate man, Sean put the gun down and torqued it in the pocketed belt around his waist. "Stupid jerk, " he muttered.

"Can I go now?" a fidgeting Mrs. Yekaterina asked Sean after the second gunshot. The tone in which the lecturer had asked Sean the question slightly surprised Ebun. Beyond the natural, expected fear of gunshot sounds, Mrs. Yekaterina had talked to Sean like he was her superior.

Ebun should have seen it coming since the psycho barracks worked in partnership with Moscow's medical university to do illegal things but still, it was going to take a long time for her to get used to it.

Sean nodded at the lecturer. "Your job is done. You may leave." Immediately, she adjusted her square glasses and started to dash into the woods in a tip-toeing manner, as though she were afraid to trip on her heels.

When Mrs. Yekaterina came across the postgraduate man who was still writhing on the floor and clutching his bloodied ankles, she gave him a solid kick in the butt that made his body roll through the fallen leaves. Then she hurried further away into the woods till she was out of sight. Ebun found the woman strange but in an interesting way.

"Go get him." Sean looked at Ebun now as he gave the command.

On a typical day, Ebun would detest the way he'd just spoken to her. She would have retorted with a savage remark, but there was something about the way he'd said the words, the way he'd looked at her with a bit of softness and compassion in his eyes that made her obey with a small, uncontrolled smile of admiration on her lips.

Sean did feel some softness for her. When he'd looked at her to give the command, he'd truly seen that her face was smeared with tears. She was scared that the man was really going to escape or perhaps, hurt her. It reminded her of her past. Sean could feel it all as he briefly looked at her.