Predator

55

Amelia didn't dare open the wardrobe, fearing it would wake Liam. She quickly put on the dress Liam had left out to dry.

To her surprise, Liam hadn't locked the door tonight.

Amelia quietly turned the lock, stepping through the slightly ajar door into the dimly lit hallway.

She curled her toes and decided against wearing shoes.

A pair of ill-fitting shoes wouldn't take her far.

Amelia closed the door, sending the man's steady breathing back into the darkness.

What she didn't see was that as soon as the door latched shut, those sharp eyes suddenly opened, letting out a sigh. He rolled over, rubbing against the indentation on his right side, lingering in the warmth left by Amelia.

The distance between the mercenaries' dormitory and the factory was short but seemed endless in the rainy night. Amelia walked through the water, hunched over to minimize contact with the cold rain. By the time she reached the factory, she was soaked to the skin. Mike was curled up in a corner, his large ears tightly pressed against his head, trying to block out the thunder.

Just as she was about to approach Mike with the key in her hand, she heard voices from the other end of the factory. Two men were talking softly in Swahili, complaining about "three days," "critical time," and "night watch," words she could barely make out.

She froze. Not five meters away, the hunting dogs that had been kept nearby caught the scent of a stranger. One of them, excited, lifted its head.

—Caught you.

The long dress restricted her running speed, and the dogs' hot breath nearly touched Amelia's calves. The mercenaries, guided by the sound, raised their guns in the dark—

The bullet hit with a dull thud.

Amelia didn't feel pain. At the critical moment, the man who should have been asleep in bed shielded her.

Liam had followed them without her knowing.

Silent, his tanned skin covered in cold sweat, he grabbed Amelia by the neck, forcing her to lift her head and kissed her hard.

"You're not learning, are you?"

"If you run again, I'll chain you to the bed."

The dogs and night guards surrounded them. Fingers on triggers, they slowly approached. Recognizing Liam, their actions halted.

The man sneered, his body half-covering Amelia—

"Having some fun and you think it's okay to point guns at me?"

Amelia was still wearing that bright dress.

One of the mercenaries on the left, realizing the situation, kicked the restless dog without holding back.

"Don't take it personally."

"You're right. It's not worth it."

Liam didn't say anything else to Amelia, just weakly pressed against her, taking unsteady steps back.

The room was still the same temperature as when she left. Liam stared at her.

"Do you know how to remove a bullet?"

"No," she replied.

"How could she?" she thought to herself.

"Then learn. There's a first aid kit behind the wardrobe."

Amelia went over, found the small blue box as Liam described, and saw a scorched piece of paper in the corner, with bold writing in both Shona and Japanese, signed by 's.'

What is this?