Hidden Moon

C H A P T E R 7

HEART SIREN

Cora

"Don't make this any harder than it should be, lady. Hand me the box and I'll let you leave and live. No one has to get hurt, aye?"

The bearded man, who was in his late forties and medium built, adjusted his gun and pointed it squarely at my chest. Although he was standing approximately three meters away, I could feel the cold tip of the barrel on my skin. Hand tight on the sling of my bag like a lifeline, I inched a step away but jumped back in terror at the sound of him cocking the gun.

"Don't make me hurt you, honey."

The crazy look in his eyes seemed like he would be enjoying torturing me after having his fun. Giving him Hana's parcel would not guarantee my safety; he was going to kill me either way and me trying to get away and outrun him gives him the rush.

He was a scoundrel dedicated to the kill first and completing his task second. If it really was just the package he was after, he could have just locked us in the cab, threaten me, take it, knock the living daylights out of me and make a clean escape without the hassle of driving us to this secluded dilapidated factory. He wanted his kill and there was no way I would allow myself to be an additional bullet in his rap sheet.

"Come on, sweet girl?"

His voice sent shivers down my spine and the only thing that kept me from losing my wits was the adrenaline pumping in my veins. Looking around, a few broken-down machineries, a stack of empty crates and other bulks of trash left in the building would not buy me time if I attempt a hide-and-seek game until I have a concrete plan to escape.

"Don't even think it, honey. Tsk tsk tsk... The cold weather was giving me a bad knee and I would really hate to run on such a terrible condition," reading my mind, he smirked and lowered his gun to my knees to stress his point. "Should we even the field?"

Said he, who was armed with a weapon...

Oh, the irony.

"Sure! Throw that gun and let's wrestle. You're a man." I pray I don't get shot for hitting at his ego, "Scared of losing to this sweet lady?"

Please don't shoot me.

Please don't shoot me.

Please don't shoot me.

Swallowing my fear, I managed to appear tougher than my shaking limbs when he erupted in laughter.

"How about a trade, sweetie?" he dropped his arm and relaxed his stance. "I'm a perfect gentleman. You start walking to me and give me what I want, hm?"

What kind of stupid does he take me for?

I won't close the gap I worked hard to put between me and monster in human flesh like him.

"I'm going to put my gun on the floor. Approach me with no worries, sweet pea." He removed his finger from the trigger and held the tip of the gun between his calloused fingers, so ready to drop it, "Okay?"

"You'd really let me go after?" I was not faking the quiver in my voice that made him even more eager at the prospect of luring me in.

Running was a piece of cake for an errand girl like me.

I just needed an opening.

"Cross my heart, sweet cheeks."

Call me sucrose or glucose or all the known sugary-coated things in this world all you want, you pig but I would never die here.