loping along through the cosmos

53: BLIND FAITH

"Theodore!" Jade shouted at him as he ran to their unit.

"Jade, stay here!" he instructed, not even looking at her. "Don't do anything reckless!"

The fear in his voice caused her to halt.

Jinx looked at her in concern. "I will get them to the ground. Wait for us there, Jade."

She was left to oblige and call for the fire department. It took Kieran another 5 minutes to arrive at the scene with Gus, who instantly got out of the car.

"Are they upstairs?" he asked. She nodded. "Stay here with Kieran then."

Jade turned to her bodyguard in worry. "We should help!"

As soon as she held Kieran's sleeve, Jinx appeared outside the apartment holding Theodore and Iris.

Theodore's mother lost consciousness as soon as they arrived outside. It was a good thing Jinx was fast enough to catch her before she hit the pavement.

"Gus went inside!" Jade said, horrified.

"He will extinguish the fire," Jinx said, handing Iris to Theodore, who looked beat up as well.

"Casualties, we need to save casualties," Kieran said. "Wait."

Without warning, Kieran's hand darted to his holster, fingers gripping the cold steel of his gun. The metal whispered as it slid free. His gaze locked onto a shadowy figure, obscured by the veil of a black hoodie, lurking behind a car nearby.

Jade's breath hitched as she followed Kieran's aim, her heart pounding in her chest like a frantic drumbeat. Her eyes strained, trying to pierce through the darkness to discern the identity of the mysterious intruder. The figure's silhouette loomed. But it wasn't just the hoodie that caught Jade's attention; it was the sling bag slung over the figure's shoulder.

Prada.

It was a bag she had seen before, draped over the arm of someone who always wanted to show off her material possessions when she was with her. But here, in this shadowy alley, the bag's presence seemed mismatched.

"Kieran, no!" she yelled. She watched in horror as Kieran's finger tightened on the trigger, a grim determination etched onto his features.

Jade knew it was probably one of the stupidest things she did—she knew she shouldn't have done it. And yet she did.

She stood in between Kieran and the girl from afar, and within the split second after her decision, Kieran was fast enough to shift his aim to a side where no one was standing.

"Jade, what the fuck!" Kieran yelled in annoyance. "Get behind me!" He pulled her, and she willingly let him. "What were you thinking?!"

"That's Ir-" Theodore was about to shout, but Jade looked him dead in the eye.

Theodore's silence spoke volumes, his eyes locking onto Ira with a mix of concern and apprehension, mirroring Jade's silent plea for reason to prevail.

Jade's words to Kieran were barely audible—a whispered confession tinged with urgency, meant for his ears alone. "Ira. That's Ira."

Suddenly, the figure beneath the hood moved, a hand reaching inside her sling bag, before revealing her weapon—a gun.

Kieran's gaze shifted from Jade to Ira, his realization dawning too late as he found himself in the line of her weapon's sight.

"Jade, get away!" Theodore's urgent cry tore through the tense air, his voice strained with fear and urgency, pleading for Jade's safety as he clung to his mother protectively.