The Hidden Knife

CH 5: I HAD BE DEAD TODAY

The gun gets loose. I close my eyes. I can't exactly see his face in the rear view mirror. It is covered by a black mask. Only his eyes are visible. Thin eyes. Sharp eyes. Staring into my soul. I'm thinking, What should I intend to do next? I cannot make any movement. He would fire me.

But I move. I move my head aside. He fires the gun. The bullet strikes my windshield. He is reloading the gun. Or else he would be firing at me now. He is doing something. I cannot see what. But I'm not going to look back. I'm not going to look back. I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing fear in my eyes. I am running. Running from him. I am running for my life.

I take cover behind one of the cars. I slowly reach into my pockets for the gun that I always carry with me. But it's not possible. Not at all. How? I cannot find my gun. My gun is with him. In his hands, or it is in my car. I don't understand how he got inside my car. My car was unlocked. I know it perfectly. But he didn't make any noise. He was an expert. I can feel my lips beginning to dry up. My heartbeat is increasing. I can feel the surge of adrenaline flowing through me. My hands are trembling. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves as I realize the gravity of the situation. Without my gun, I am defenseless against him. I curse myself for being careless and leaving my car unlocked. I have no choice but to think quickly and come up with a plan to confront him, hoping that I can somehow outsmart him and come out of this situation unharmed. Sweat beads form on my forehead as I prepare myself for what lies ahead.

But I'm not giving up. I look inside my blazer. I pull out the pocket knife. I look at my watch , knowing that my time is running out. I also send an emergency alarm to my men. To come here. I'm trapped. I have no way out. I can see the large building at Anand's. I pock my head around the corner, only to find nobody. I must find a way to escape before it's too late. Suddenly, the lights go off in the building. There is chaos. I can hear shouting, gunshots, and screams. I moved to the other corner. I poked my head. I can see nothing. Nobody. But I can hear footsteps. Footsteps of someone approaching me. I look at my watch and locate the positions of my men. All of them are trapped inside the building. Ethan and Liam too. I cannot see Vivek's position on the map. Where is he? I wonder. But now's not the time to wonder.

I grab my pocket knife with steady hands. I'm shaking. There are droplets of water pouring on me. I am cold. Also wet. I must focus on finding Vivek before it's too late. I go to both corners. Check. Nobody's coming. But I can hear footsteps. The footsteps are getting louder. I watch every direction. My ears are buzzing. I am tense. Suddenly, I can feel my heart pounding in my chest.

Someone's behind me.

Someone's behind me. Perhaps you are looking at me.

With my hands trembling, I turn back. It's just my own shadow. I close my eyes. Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Slowly, I open my eyes and try to calm my racing heart. I realize that my fear was all in my head. I move slowly in the crouch position. I am ready to face whatever is coming at me. I move to the other side of the car and revolve around it. Just like the earth revolves around the sun,. I do not know. I look back. And again, at the front. I can see

I can see him.

This time he is raising the gun at my face. He is just a few meters away. He fires the gun. I escape. But the damage is done. I look down. The bullet has struck my vest. I can feel a minor pain. He's wearing a mask. He's tall. But not so strong. He's reloading his gun. A strange, useless sort of gun. I do not waste any time. The rain is dripping on my shoulders. My face. I'm wet. I lunge forward. Towards him. I'm going to take him down. With my knife, I try to strike him. I run towards him. My heart is beating rapidly, adrenaline is coursing through my veins, and I am determined to end this once and for all. I will not stop until he is defeated. As I get closer, I can see the determination in his eyes. He tries to dodge my knife, but I am faster. With a swift movement, I managed to cut his arm. He winces in pain, but he doesn't give up. I can hear his heavy breathing as he tries to regain control. But I am relentless. I keep pushing forward, not letting him catch his breath. I know that this is my chance to finally bring him down, and I will not let it slip away.

His gun is not loaded. He sprints towards me as if he is going to stab me. I have my knife with me. I take a deep breath and prepare to defend myself. He starts by using his gun to beat me. But I'm faster. I easily block him. He throws me a fist, but I dodge away. But my knife. My knife. It's not in my hand. It's behind me. Oh! How could that slip from my hands at such a crucial moment? I'm flabbergasted. I gave him a kick on the stomack. He falls down. I look behind me. I need to find my knife. Oh! There it is. But he has his gun. He is reloading. I quickly turned back. He throws another bullet, but he misses it. It strikes an oil barrel in the distance and explodes. The fire fumes are catching up. I realize he needs to reload his gun every time he fires a bullet. He is vulnerable during this time. I lunge towards him, the knife in my hands.

I tried to stab him in the face. Bloody face. But he rolls away. Second time? He again rolls away. But this time, I'm sure he would be killed. With all my force, I thrust the knife into his chest. No. He blocks it. He escapes it. I don't know what he does. But he kicks me hard in the stomach, and I fall away. I can experience the pain. He's not a weak opponent. As I struggle to catch my breath, I realize that this fight is far from over. He stands over me, his gun pointed directly at my head. I can see the determination in his eyes, and I know that I must find a way to outsmart him if I want to survive. With a burst of adrenaline, I kick out at his legs, causing him to stumble backwards. In that split second of distraction, I scramble to my feet and make a run for it, knowing that I will have to be quicker and smarter if I want to defeat him.

As I sprint through the dimly lit alleyway, my heart pounding in my chest, I can hear his heavy footsteps behind me. I duck behind a dumpster, trying to catch my breath and think of a plan. The sound of his footsteps grows louder, and I know that I have to act fast. I spot a fire escape ladder leading up to the roof of a nearby building and make a split-second decision to climb it. As I reach the top, I glance back and see him approaching, his gun still in hand. I know that I have to find a way to outmaneuver him and escape before it's too late. I'm running. Literally grasping for death. I am looking for my car. I can't find it. There's too much here. I'm wondering where all my men have gone.

Yes. Yes. I found it. My car. I quickly reach for the door handle and jump in, slamming it shut behind me. I try to find my gun. I tried to find it. No. It's not in any seat. I crouch and look below the seats. Yes. I found it. I can feel the joy rushing through my veins. I quietly stay here. Waiting patiently for the right moment to strike. I check the chamber, making sure it's loaded and ready for action. The anticipation builds as I prepare myself for what's to come. My heart beats faster with each passing second, and my adrenaline is pumping as I wait for the perfect opportunity to make my move. The time is now. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the battle ahead.

I can see him. Yes. I can see him. He's just outside the window, looking for me. My heart is pounding in my chest, but I know I have to act fast. He looks at me. Through the window. He points the gun toward me. I think I would be dead. This time. For now.

He lowers it down. He starts to walk ahead. I quietly opened my window. Very quickly. Quietly. But as I point his gun towards him, he turns back. He looks at me with a glint of fear in his eyes. He is pleading. Begging. But I'm quicker than him. Even before he can react, I pull the trigger. He falls to the ground, lifeless.

I'm relieved.

I was dead today.

I quickly open my car door and examine the dead body. Nothing such as significant. Except I have some questions in my mind.

Someone is trying to assassinate me. Kill me. But I wonder who?