CUS 9; Cinco Encounter

ENCOUNTER 12

The hideout echoed with Blade's defiant screams and curses, her resistance fueling her captors' anger.

The first man backhanded her hard, his patience wearing thin. "You'll break, bitch. They always do."

"Fuck! Why can't we just kill this bitch?" The other man screams in frustration. They both witnessed how their comrade's lives end in Blade's hand. It was so fast that they thought they would have the same end.

"This damn bitch almost kill us all in just a fucking blink of our eyes! Can't you believe that? This damn woman is a monster!" The man screams with trepidation and panic. Whenever he looks at Blade, his stomach churned and all his hair stood on end.

But suddenly saved them when Blade curled on the ground in agony, gripping her head, convulsing before she lost her consciousness.

The second man prepared to escalate the torture, his eyes gleaming with sadistic intent as he also remember how the latter took their companions down.

"Let's see how long you can keep this up."

Despite the excruciating pain, Blade's eyes burned with fierce determination. Her body trembled with a mix of agony and barely contained rage.

And the familiarity of the event that seemed happened, a long time ago.

Her mind drowned with indescribable confusion. The pain was familiar, did she once abducted before? No. It seems not the case, but this feeling was too familiar to her. Her hand from her back moving with precision but unsure. It was as if it had its own mind and the depth of her confusion still lingers.

Outside, Sab, Simon, and Garen closed in on the hideout, their weapons ready and faces grim with determination. The forest seemed to hold its breath as the two groups drew closer to an explosive confrontation.

Blade gritted her teeth, her bloodied body trembling from the relentless agony. Every inch of her screamed in pain, but her resolve was unshakable, even as her vision blurred and darkness edged closer.

The torture had pushed her to the brink, yet her spirit refused to break. She wouldn’t give in—not now, not ever. Even as consciousness threatened to slip away, her will remained ironclad.

Blade teetered on the edge of consciousness, her captors prepared for another round of brutal interrogation. The hideout was thick with the scent of blood and sweat, the air heavy with tension.

Unexpectedly, a commotion outside caught everyone's attention. The sound of approaching footsteps and hushed voices filtered through the walls.

The first captor cursed under his breath. "Check it out," he hissed to his partner. "And be quiet about it."

The second man moved towards the entrance with the other men left alive, Blade's eyes flickered open, a spark of hope igniting in her pain-addled mind.

Blade kept her consciousness intact as the commotion began. Her gaze still intent on trying her best to remove herself from her bind.

Blades breathing left in a shallow gasps, as if everything around her slowly fading, her visions getting blurred. There was a long beeping sound resounding over her head. Blade felt like her world was spinning.

The scene around her fading in the air, countless footsteps rushing in her direction. The sound of barking dogs, the gunshots and the images of unclear scenes circling in her head. She felt pain, but not from the cut wounds but on her left abdomen.

No one knew what was happening, as Blade fell in her delirious state. Her hallucinations consume her as the images slowly fade.

'cinco!'

The tension in the hideout reached a fever pitch as the sounds outside grew louder. Blade's captor, now alone with her with few masked men, grew visibly nervous, his eyes darting between his prisoner and the entrance. Their clothing never showed any similarity to ordinary people. The jackets, the ripped jeans, the scarf around their neck, others on their head.

These men were far from the similar thugs or bandits in the mountains but also hinted as an experienced underground syndicate.

"Don’t get any ideas," he snarled, pressing the blade harder against Blade’s throat. Fear and desperation flickered across his face, the anger in his eyes betraying his crumbling resolve. The bravado he'd flaunted earlier was nowhere to be found, evaporating with every passing second as the sound of approaching rescuers grew louder, closing in.

With a loud bang, the door burst open. Sab, Garen, and Simon stormed in, weapons raised and faces set with grim determination.

"Drop the knife!" Sab barked, his Scottish brogue thick with anger.

The captor's eyes widened in panic, his grip on Blade tightening. "Stay back or I'll kill her!"

Simon's masked face remained unreadable, but his body tensed, ready to spring into action. Garen's imposing figure filled the doorway, his sniper rifle trained on the captor's head.

The atmosphere crackled with deadly tension as the standoff unfolded, with Blade caught in the middle, her fate hanging in the balance.

"D-damn it! Finally..." Blade whispered, a wave of relief flooding her as she saw the three figures barge in. The weight of her pain and exhaustion came crashing down all at once. In that fleeting moment, safety felt within reach, and with a sigh of surrender, she let go, slipping into unconsciousness.

As the men noticed Blade's agony, Sab lunged forward, tackling the captor and disarming him in one swift move. Simon secured the area while Garen rushed to Blade's side, his imposing figure now radiating concern.

"She needs medical attention, schnell! (quick!) " Garen barked, carefully untying Blade's bonds.

Sab, having subdued the captor, turned his attention to Blade. His face paled at the sight of her injuries. "Bloody hell... We need to get her out of here now."

Simon's masked face turned towards the unconscious captor. "What about him? He might have information."

The hideout shifted from tense confrontation to urgent rescue, the air thick with a mix of relief and worry. As they prepared to move Blade to safety, the men exchanged grim looks, silently acknowledging the challenges that lay ahead in uncovering the truth behind her captors and the recent murders.

Blade was taken to infirmary, she had gained consciousness after several days in her coma state.

Sab's eyes softened with understanding, his Scottish brogue gentle. "Aye, lass. We'll get to the bottom of this, for you and your brother."

Garen nodded solemnly, his imposing figure a reassuring presence.

As Blade rested, her teammates silently vowed to uncover the truth behind her brother's death and bring those responsible to justice, no matter the cost.

"Thank you, you saved my ass there." She murmurs.

Sab's face broke into a warm smile, his blue eyes twinkling with relief. "Anytime, lass. That's what teammates are for."

Simon gave a slight nod, his masked face unreadable but his voice carrying a hint of warmth. "You're one of us now. We look after our own."

Garen's imposing figure seemed to relax slightly, a rare smile visible beneath his sniper hood. "Ja, we are... stronger together. You fought well."

The earlier tension gave way to a sense of camaraderie. As Blade rested and recovered, her teammates kept a watchful eye.