Dani and Jae's Ballistic Adventure

Chapter 9

***DANI POV***

I was playing slither.io on my phone, which was when I got a message.

"Dani, this is Jae. I'm typing through my brother's phone. I know you hate me. But I wasn't lying about Hyeri and me getting hacked. I'm not with her at all. You're the only one in my heart. We went to the police and found out we were hacked by my stalker, Min Sohee, who flew to Austin two days ago to try to hurt you. Korean officers are on their way to protect you. Go to the US cops too. Be safe. Please.

I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand. My heart raced as the reality of his words sank in. Jae had been telling the truth all along, and he was being hunted by a stalker who had come all the way to Austin to hurt me. A cold wave of fear washed over me, leaving me feeling vulnerable and exposed.

Before I could reply, a repeated tapping on my window broke the stillness of the night. My heart skipped a beat. I didn't know what it was since my window had a curtain. The tapping continued, growing louder and more insistent. Panic rose within me, and my breath quickened as I got up.

Muffin, my massive dog, began howling in the living room, the noise amplifying my fear. I hurried out of bed, my heart pounding, desperate to find her and reassure myself that everything was okay. Just as I reached the living room, a loud gunshot shattered the silence, a bullet whizzing through my window and embedding itself into the wall of my bedroom.

I screamed, my voice echoing through the house as I turned on my heel and bolted from the room. "Muffin!" I cried out, rushing toward the sound of her howling. I gently grabbed the loose skin on Muffin's neck, keeping her close without hurting her as I dashed to my parents' room.

My parents were already awake, panic etched on their faces. "What's happening?" my mom whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

"Someone shot at the house!" I gasped, my voice trembling. "We have to hide!"

Without hesitation, they ushered me toward the basement. "We need to call the cops!" my dad said, fumbling for his phone. "Dani, get down there with Muffin!"

"No! I can't just hide!" I protested, my heart racing. "They're gonna hurt you guys!"

My mom grabbed my shoulders, her voice urgent. "We don't want anything to happen to you either! Just go!"

The urgency in her voice forced me to comply. I backed away toward the basement door, fear still clinging to me. As I moved, Muffin's howling intensified, making me feel even more exposed. I could hear my parents whispering frantic instructions as we went to the basement and took the backdoor exit out of the house.

I hesitated for just a moment, knowing I could handle this. I'd trained in Krav Maga; I could disarm a gun. But my family's safety came first. I stepped into the basement and grabbed a flashlight, gripping it tightly, my heart pounding in my chest.

As we made our way out, an unsettling silence filled the air. I held my breath, listening intently. Then, from the shadows outside, I saw her—a girl with a gun, a few feet away from me, her eyes scanning the area as if searching for a target.

My parents were hiding under a bush about ten feet away, and Muffin and I were behind a different bush. Appa was clutching Amma, who was silently sobbing in fear.

Instinct kicked in. I crouched low, clutching Muffin close by her neck, careful not to hurt her as I pressed her against me, praying that somehow we would make it out of this alive.

"Muffin, don't you dare bark," I whispered to my big dog, who seemed to understand.

I pressed Muffin closer to me, her warm body trembling against my side. I could feel her heartbeat racing, mirroring my own as fear clung to the air around us. But I needed to stay calm for her sake. My blood ran cold as the shadows shifted outside, and suddenly a female figure emerged, gun in hand, her expression twisted with malice.

My heart stopped as she made eye contact with me.

Without thinking, I ducked low, summoning every ounce of courage within me. In a split second, I sprinted towards Sohee, my fear transformed into determination. Determination to live. I slammed into her, the impact knocking her off balance, as I grasped her wrists, fighting to gain control of the gun.

"Let go!" She shouted, struggling against me. My thumbs pressed against her trigger finger, fighting against the weight of her intent to pull the trigger.

"Get away from me!" I shouted, kicking Sohee as hard as I could in the stomach with all my strength. The force sent her staggering back, and she gasped, blood spraying from her mouth as she fell to her knees.

With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I quickly twisted the gun from her grasp, disarming the gun in one swift motion as she crumpled to the floor, the gun in my hands.

"Stay down or I'll shoot," I ordered, and Sohee started hysterically crying.

Really, bitch? You almost kill me in my sleep and now you're crying?

My parents were shouting prayers to God that I was alive, and Muffin was furiously wagging her tail, licking my ankle. But I could only remain paralyzed, because well, I WAS ALMOST MURDERED!

Before I knew it, cops arrived at the scene... both Texas PD and Seoul PD–I could tell from their uniforms–and they took the gun away from me and put Sohee into handcuffs, who was crying and trying to act innocent. Bruh, are you for real?

Amma and Appa were hysterically crying and freaking out as they recalled all the details of how their daughter almost died to the cops, and they ran over to me, clutching my arms and hugging me as Muffin licked my ankle and pressed herself against me as the cops spoke with me too.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly, the chaos around me muted, my mind still grappling with the shock. Each second felt like an eternity as I fought to steady my breath, the weight of the ordeal sitting heavy on my chest.

Finally, after what felt like hours, I pulled out my phone, my hands shaking as I pulled up Jae's number and unblocked it. My heart raced as I opened our chat for the first time in almost a week. I missed Jae so much.

"Jae, long time no see"

"I'm okay."