A Girl's Turmoil

Chapter 37 - The Last Bastard

Loud, quick-stepping sounds overwhelmed the quiet hallways of the mall. Civilians that are still cowering in fear are startled at the appearance of the blonde girl carrying a rifle moving past them. Yet, they didn't make a move, for they also feared she was a threat. They watch her as she disappears into a corner of one such hallway that would lead her into the indoor parking lot, with her rifle aimed forward. Very few people already had their phones out to record such a girl.

After taking a corner turn, she keeps pace until she reaches the double doors, at which she slows to a halt. Sakurako pushes one of the doors open and carefully checks her corners. Out of the corner of her eye, she would saw a glimpse of a silhouette running off to her left. She aims that way and follows the silhouette, moving carefully through parked cars and pillars rather than the concrete pathway. She had lost sight of the silhouette but was still determined; she would search at least a couple of blocks of the parking lot.

She would crouch behind one of the cars, feeling her legs begin to feel weary that she had sprinted non-stop from one side of the mall to the other. The blonde junior girl gasps for air and, after a moment, slows down to a rhythmical pace, breaths in through her nasal, breaths out through her lips. She soon stands up and continues her-

Duck.

Two more persons pop out from her left, and she hides. Sakurako carefully peeks out to watch those armed individuals are carrying a couple of bags of valuables running off to her right. She immediately follows them in a jog, keeping her head low and fast enough to catch up with them. She would occasionally watch her back just to be aware of unexpected guests. She still has them in sight, though she would notice she was getting a little slow to catch up.

However, her search would pay off as two particular box trucks would come into view. Hiding behind a pillar, she spots seven more heavily-armed bad guys loading valuables into the cars, and she can tell they are displeased with how many people they lost. However, there's one such man among them who just stands out to her. Even from afar, she could recognize that tiny scar on his cheek and that lone silver earring on his right ear.

"This is all the guys we have left?!" she heard that man shout.

"I'm afraid this is it," one of the goons responded. "That Sakurako girl and the group already massacred our guys. The cops are already here, too, and they're about to catch us."

"Dipshit!" the man with the earring turned at the open boxcar. "Well, at least we got the rest of the scores to ourselves. We'll deal with that little bitch once we're outta here."

Sakurako almost realized that she had breathed heavily, gritting her teeth like a grindstone. Her hands tremble to see that bastard once again finally. Seeing their current numbers, they would outnumber her. However, all she can see is red in her own eyes. He saw her, he knew her, he knew her family, her relatives, her friends. This was the only chance to take him out of the picture, but it was too risky with those men armed to the teeth.

"Alright, start those engines. We ain't standing around," Sashiga ordered.

"Right away, bos-"

*BAR-CHAK* *DAG-DUG*

She took that chance. And one of his men dropped to the ground.

"What the hell?!" Sashiga ducked alongside his men, who were now shouting in panic.

"Where'd that come from?!"

"Who shot him?!"

"Keep your heads down!"

"Where'd it come from?!"

"Look around! Find that bastard!"

As those criminals dispersed, she quickly shot the tires of those two trucks. She then rapid fires at a car where other suspects are taking cover at. It was just enough to keep their heads down until her gun clicked, at which she must reload her rifle and take cover. However, her suppression had told them where she was hiding.