Silhouettes of America - Book 1 of The ARMOR Series [Completed]

28.2 Knock | Avery

"No!" I screamed when someone gave three incessant gunshots. The next thing I knew, dad was slouching on the ground as he held his bleeding chest. I walked over to him who was now looking at me with pain in his eyes.

"Hey, the young Collin's is here," someone said from behind. "What a great reunion." From his voice I could tell it was him - the man who helped me pursue the snatcher in the mall. The man who placed a small mic on my purse to spy on me.

I pointed the gun at him. "Nike the impostor. What do you want?"

"Nike smirked. "I found out you're with 3 people. I heard your plans of getting to Jacob Collin's base. Thanks to that mic, we came here right before you did."

"But you ain't fast. Jacob Collins told me a secret even before you got here to interfere."

Nike walked casually inside the room, letting out a loud laugh. "Oh, I gave you time for that drama. I was actually out here listening all the time."

"F*ck you!" I screamed and shot Nike's chest but no blood came out. Nike let out a louder laugh this time, unbuttoning his shirt one by one, revealing a protective covering he wore underneath his polo.

A bulletproof vest.

"We are armor, the protector of men," Nike said. In a split second, he threw 2 sharp sabres in either of my arms where it dug deep into my flesh, making me drop the pistols in my hands. To top it off, he punched my gut and I fell on the floor.

I groaned in pain. "I-I will kill you."

"Your father, Jacob Collins is a traitor on the loose. He betrayed ARMOR. He must die," Nike said in a mocking tone and walked out of the room. I heard footsteps coming in. I felt 2 pairs of hands hauling me from the ground.

"Get your hands off me!" I wriggled, trying to break free but a man kicked my gut and I yelped in pain, relenting. Colbie must be hiding somewhere, or is she dead?

The ARMOR disciples brought me downstairs. They dropped me brashly on the floor. 2 men stood on either side of me and one man posed behind me. I looked at them and saw the armor tattoo's on their arms. They pointed their guns on me and all of them have the same expression on their faces - stern. I looked up and saw dad. Also, three men aimed their guns on him like he's a culprit that is given a death sentence.

"You should thank me, Avery. You're seeing the man who left you for 7 years now, as clear as daylight, the lights flashing in his eyes," Nike taunted between fits of laughter.

"Shut up! If we die here tonight, at least we died protecting our country rather than destroying it like what you do!"

Nike grinned. He snapped in the air and said, "At the count of three, rain down bullets on these 2 traitors to end the history of treason!"

What the hell. I bit my lips in anxiety.

I can't die here tonight.

If Gods do exist, help me please.

"1, 2, - "

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Just when I thought it's the end, my mind betrayed me.

Nike was shot and he collapsed on the floor. The men who held me and my dad were also taken down. A green-haired girl emerged from the shadows, holding a minigun in both hands. Her arms bled but she managed to eliminate the enemies.

"Colbie!" I yelled and grabbed the chance to roll on the ground, getting the gun of an ARMOR disciple who was bleeding on the floor. I fired in all directions until no ARMOR disciple was left standing. I looked behind me to find Nike but he was nowhere in sight. "Ugh," my arms stung but I brushed it off.

"Jacob!" Colbie sobbed. I walked towards Colbie who had carried dad in her lap.

"Hold on, dad. We'll take you to the hospital," I said.

Jacob shook his head, coughing blood. "N-no. My mission ends here. I finally avenged your mom." He dug out something from the back of his pants and slipped it inside my pocket.

"Dad, what's -"

Jacob cut me off by saying, "S-save the President of A-America."

My eyes grew wide in shock as dad's eyes began to close. "Dad! I still had a lot to ask from you! Why should I save the US President! Who is he to you? Why didn't you fight tonight? Why? Why?" I asked as I shook him. "You can do more dad, aside from avenging mom. We can destroy ARMOR together!"

Colbie turned to meet my eyes. "He was tired from fighting, Avery. He was a fighter since 1993. Let him rest."

"No! NO!" I tried to stop the blood from running out of his chest using my hands, but to no avail.

What the hell, life.

A few seconds later, I felt a hand tugging on my jeans. I looked at my dad. He was trying to open his eyes. He knocked on the ground, like he was trying to convey something.

Intermittent knocking. Morse code.

I listened to his knocks. It formed a six-letter word arranged in a weird fashion.

C ... U ... N ... J ... U ... R ...

As he knocked the last letter, dad gulped deeply.

"Dad, what is CUNJUR? Is it a code to destroy ARMOR? Dad! Don't die yet! I still need you!" I begged in desperation. With eyes still open, his breathing stopped. I cried bitterly on the floor, hugging the lifeless body of my dad. He died without answering my questions yet again and left me with an unfamiliar code.

Wiping my tears, I closed my dad's eyes. I stood up and walked away from Colbie who still held Jacob in her arms. I stepped on multiple dead bodies of the men who exchanged shots that night. Colbie called me. "Avery - "

"Don't follow me," I said in a monotonous voice. I looked in front of me and found myself staring at the mirror. I had been crying; my shirt was soaked in blood. I'm a living assassin but actually dead inside.

I screamed, banging my head to the mirror. Blood oozed from my flesh and my vision dimmed. I was going to pass out when my sense of hearing woke me. I heard a laugh resounding somewhere inside the four corners of the building. I looked up and saw Nike pointing a gun at me.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Colbie ran to my rescue and embraced me so the bullets pierced her body. "What the ... hell ... no ..." I cried, seeing her lying lifeless on the floor. Colbie died protecting me.

I heard a sound of car driving away from a distance. Nike escaped after spreading fire inside the building, burning the whole base. I quickly walked out of the building; my face covered in blood.

My legs weaken and I slouched on the ground. I heard sirens wailing outside, getting louder every moment. The police. Dino probably called them.

"Hey miss -" A man's voice called me but I stood up and ran before he could lay a finger on me. I didn't even bother to look at him.

"Wait! I'm your dad's friend!" he said.

I ignored him. Friends don't exist in this world smudged with evil and terrorism.

"Hey!" The man called again. I ran outside the gate, trying to fight the dizziness I felt. I caught a glimpse of a motorcycle speeding towards my direction and right before it hit me, everything is dark again.

**