The Bodyguard

Chapter 20

I'm coming, Emma, Killian thought as he took out his gun. Hang on.

The school's building seemed to be deserted. There wasn't a single sign of life, not even the slightest of sounds. Killian Jones took a quick peek at some of the classrooms and offices on the floor making sure they were empty. He didn't bother himself to go upstairs; Emma's kidnapper wouldn't be that stupid to go to a place where he could easily be caught.

He has to be on the first floor, the bodyguard thought as he kept walking. After a matter of nothing, he reached the end of the corridor, where a door was slightly opened. That door led to yet another corridor that corresponded to the maintenance area. The damn school seemed to be an endless labyrinth! Killian took a deep breath before following the hallway, his gun ready in case he needed it.

He had just crossed the threshold when he saw a shiny object on the floor. Killian knelt next to it and picked it up.

"Emma," he whispered, quickly recognizing the silver bracelet she had been wearing that day.

The kidnapper must have been dragging Emma through the hallway as she squirmed to be free and somehow the bracelet fell from her wrist. That or Emma left it on purpose so Killian got a clue of where to find her.

Keeping it inside his pocket, Killian stood up and kept moving, hoping that Emma was okay.

Suddenly, he reached the hallway's corner. Before having time to turn, he heard a couple of sounds coming from the left side, so he leaned himself against the wall and listened. Someone was saying something to another person, but the dialogue wasn't clear enough since the bodyguard wasn't that close.

After a matter of seconds, he heard the sound of footsteps followed by a loud "stop kicking, you bitch!" aggressively said by a man whose identity Killian did not recognize.

It had to be them. Emma and the kidnapper were just some meters away from him. Taking a deep breath, Killian stuck his head out discreetly and caught sight of them. The kidnapper, a man of average height with bald head, was holding Emma as she squirmed. The man was also carrying a gun with him, Killian saw he had it inside a holster.

"Stop it!" the bald man said once again. "Stop it or I'll go back to the yard and slice one of the kid's throat!"

Emma shook her head, not being able to speak as there was an old rag around her mouth.

"Good, now be a nice girl and stop fighting. The faster we get out of here the better," he said as he started to walk through the corridor, pulling Emma with him.

Killian thought about all his following movements in less than three seconds. He knew he had to be fast because they were only a few steps away from the door that led to the outside, and there would probably be a van waiting to take Emma away and getting her would be harder.

Killian took a deep breath before leaving his hiding place and shooting the kidnapper in two spots: the holster, causing his gun to fall, and the ankle, making the bald man fall to the ground and bringing Emma with him.

The blondie was scared, the gunshots emitted a very loud sound because they were indoors, but as soon as she lifted up her head and saw Killian, a light of hope turned inside her.

She stood up, willing to run to his arms when the bald man grabbed her leg and made her fall again.

"Don't do anything stupid, bodyguard!" The kidnapper took out a penknife, object which Killian was not counting on, and pressed it against Emma's neck.

Killian's gun was aiming at the man. He had his target acquired and could've easily shot him in the forehead. However, before he could pull the trigger, another person appeared from behind bald man and shoot Killian in the shoulder and in the chest, his body collapsing on the ground.

"Nooo!!" Emma yelled with tears in her eyes after the rag fell from her mouth. "Killian!!!"

Bald man stood up with difficulty and grabbed Emma again, whose attempts to be free were only in vain.

The guy who had shot spoke, gazing at Killian's motionless body. "He shouldn't be a problem anymore. Now let's get our asses out of here!"

"Killian!! Killian!!!" Emma yelled again before the second man placed the rag on her mouth once more. The kidnappers took Emma outside, where the sunlight was starting to hide and a black car was parked some feet away.

Emma knew that once they got her inside the car it was going to be the end of her. They were probably taking her to an isolated place out of the city and kill her without anyone being able to do something.

The second kidnapper and the bald man exchanged looks once they heard the loud sirens on the other side of the school.

"Let's get her in the trunk before the cops find us," the man with the gun said.

Just when the bald man opened the trunk, two shots were fired and hit him in his extremities, sending his body to the dirty ground. Emma threw herself down and shut her eyes before the second kidnapper turned around, just to be received by three gunshots in the chest.

Emma's hands were shaking. The sirens were still sounding in the distance and the echo of the gunshots was still rumbling in her ears. The old rag had fallen again from her mouth, but she didn't realize. She didn't dare open her eyes, she was too scared to see her surroundings. Emma went through a shocking state, just as the time the intruder tried to kill her at her house. It was as if everything, all the pain, the fear, the nervousness, and even the adrenaline were showing up in her system.

It wasn't until a soft hand touched her shoulder and a sweet voice called her name that she was taken out of that horrible trance. Emma gazed up, her eyelids aching because of the pressure she caused when closing them, and met a sapphire gaze that immediately gave her a reassuring feeling.

"Killian," she said relieved before putting her arms around his neck. The bodyguard embraced her, carefully stroking the back of her head. "I thought... I thought that you..."

"Shh..." he told her calmly before cupping her face with both hands. "I'm here, you see? I'm okay"

Emma nodded before resting her head between his neck and his shoulder. Killian caressed her back as he watched the scene in front of him. The second kidnapper lied dead on the ground. Some meters away was the bald man, motionless but still alive. Killian had shot him, on purpose, in spots that would only leave him injured so the police could interrogate him later.

"I saw how he shot at you," Emma told Killian, her eyes hardly believing he was in front of her.

"Thankfully I was wearing a bulletproof vest underneath my shirt," he said before smiling.

He didn't tell her that the second bullet did hit him because she would freak out. It was a relief that it had only been a superficial injury. It seemed like the second kidnapper didn't have a very good shot at all.

Emma grinned at him, leaning her forehead against Killian's. She opened her mouth to say something when the cops arrived at the scene.
Killian helped her stand up as Graham Humbert indicated his team to arrest the bald man and check the second kidnapper's body.

"Emma! Emma!" Walsh called her out right before Killian let go of her.

She left her bodyguard's side and was received by Walsh's embrace. Emma would rather hug Killian at that moment, but she didn't decline Walsh's affection.

"Are you okay?" he asked stroking her arms.

"Yes, I'm alright," she replied before trying to break away from the hug, which she couldn't achieve since her husband was holding her tightly.

Watching Emma and Walsh like that wasn't very pleasant for Killian, but he felt a beautiful sense of relief knowing that she was safe and sound.

And that was the only thing that mattered.

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