Love Amidst the Flames

Chap 22

Suddenly, he drew his gun and aimed it straight at Charlotte. She didn’t have time to react, only able to feel the rising fear in her heart.

“Don’t!” she cried out, but the gunshot rang out immediately after.

The loud bang sent the bar into chaos. Charlotte felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, but fortunately, the bulletproof vest protected her. The shock left her dizzy, but there was no time to panic.

Tina, assigned to protect her, immediately fired at Mid Zubizi. The bullet flew and Mid fell, dead on the spot.

“Go!” Tina urged, pulling Charlotte out of the bar as screams and footsteps echoed everywhere.

As they exited, Charlotte stumbled, the pain in her shoulder making it difficult to move. But the urgency to escape propelled her forward.

As they ran, Charlotte suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the distance—Suz, the one who had directly shot Engfa. She couldn’t miss this opportunity.

“Suz!” Charlotte shouted, determined to chase her down.

Suz turned around, seeing Charlotte and Tina, her eyes filled with panic but also a hint of confidence. There was no time to think; Charlotte dashed toward Suz.

“Stop!” she yelled.

Suz turned and quickly ran into a nearby abandoned warehouse. Charlotte and Tina followed closely behind, determined not to let Suz escape.

Once inside the warehouse, the dark and cluttered space created an atmosphere of tension. Charlotte and Suz faced each other, their eyes filled with hatred.

“Who do you think you are, Charlotte?” Suz taunted, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “A two-faced traitor to the country? What have you done for this nation except bring us defeat?”

Charlotte felt rage boiling inside her as she ground out each word: “I did everything to protect Engfa! You are the ruthless one, and I won’t let this go unpunished. Why did you do it? Why did you kill innocent people?”

“I was just following orders!” Suz shouted, her eyes blazing with defiance. “You don’t understand anything about duty and responsibility. You’re just a weakling who can’t even protect the one you love.”

Charlotte could no longer contain her hatred for Suz.

“You have no right to say that!” she screamed.

The two stood opposite each other, the air in the abandoned warehouse becoming suffocating. The animosity between them was irreconcilable, and Charlotte knew this battle had only just begun.

As Engfa slowly regained consciousness, she felt her body was a bit stronger. After a short nap, her face had regained some color, but her mood was heavy. The sharp pain in her heart made it impossible for her to find peace. The image of Charlotte, the one she loved most, flooded her mind, accompanied by an unending worry.

“Tif,” Engfa called, her voice weak but resolute. “I need to know where Charlotte is and how she’s doing.”

Tif, always close to Engfa, nodded and quickly used communication equipment to locate her. Not long after, she reported:

“She’s in the area of the abandoned warehouse; it seems there’s a conflict going on. I tried to contact her but got no response.”

Hearing this, Engfa couldn’t contain her anxiety.

“I have to go save her!” Engfa said, her voice full of determination.

“But, Engfa!” Tif advised, trying to stop her. “You’re still weak; you can’t go.”

“That’s an order!” Engfa interrupted, her eyes shining with resolve. “I’m your superior. We need to act right now!”

Under Engfa's pressure, Tif had to relent; she knew that when Engfa was determined, nothing could stop her. Three military vehicles were quickly mobilized, stopping in front of the hospital. Engfa was helped into the first vehicle, and within five minutes, they were on their way to where Charlotte was in danger.

Inside the abandoned warehouse, the tense dialogue between Charlotte and Suz continued. They had reached a point of no return, both determined to drag each other down to hell.

“I won’t let you escape!” Charlotte hissed, her heart full of resolve.

“You will have to pay for what you’ve caused!” Suz shot back, her eyes cold. “Today, both of you will pay the price!”

Both raised their guns, Charlotte’s heart raced as she felt the palpable tension and fear. The sensation of death hovered before her, but she couldn’t let that control her.

“This is the end!” Suz shouted, pulling the trigger.

At the same moment, gunfire erupted. Time seemed to stand still for a moment, everything around her becoming blurry.

As Engfa approached the warehouse area, she heard the gunshots echoing in the air. Without hesitation, Engfa broke free from Tif’s hold, ignoring the syringe still stuck in her hand.

“Charlotte!” she yelled, fear rising within her.

“Where are you?!”

The latent strength within her propelled Engfa to sprint inside, her footsteps silent yet urgent. She couldn’t stop, couldn’t allow Charlotte to be in danger.

Inside the warehouse, as the gunshots rang out, everything felt like it was happening in slow motion, and all she wanted was to protect the one she loved, no matter the cost.

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Hy.