I began to lighten my pace little by little until I reached a point where I started running. The gun wobbled non-stop, giving me small blows on the back, which although weak, after a while began to bother. Miyabi kept up with me relentlessly, it's like she's willing to go anywhere just to follow me.
"Miyabi, how long until I get there?" I asked without interrupting my breathing and preventing the flatus from doing its thing.
Miyabi paused for a moment, looked and continued with the race.
"About two more minutes," he answered.
Morning runs paid off in situations like this. I was tired, exhausted, the weight of the weapon was enough to tire me quickly and disproportionately. Luckily, the 6th Division's suit was nothing more than a military suit disguised as a smokin.
"Ethereal activity climbing," Miyabi said.
"We're getting closer." Thought.
After walking a few more meters, I stopped.
"I don't know why, but I'm sure it's in that warehouse over there," I said, pointing to the warehouse below us.
We were on a bridge and our target place was under it. We needed to find a way to go down. We couldn't just jump.
"We have to go down."
Miyabi stood next to me. He put his hand on my stomach and pushed me back a few inches.
- I can jump. I'll cushion the fall as best I can. Don't worry, I won't die." She said sure of herself. "A few meters ahead you will find a fairly deep lake. Hopefully, you won't get any scratches.
Miyabi had no common sense, it was obvious. I don't think it was deep enough to keep me from hitting rock bottom, besides, the extra weight I carry because of the rifle is enough to sink me twice as deep.
— Miyabi... He could kill me."
"Well, then you'll have to walk to the end of the bridge and find another way down." It's your decision, but there's no time to waste.
I know. There was no time to think, but I didn't want to die either.
Fuck it, fuck the fear.
"Okay. Wait for me downstairs, I'll be short." I said to stop at once, start running again straight towards the supposed lake that was a few meters away.
I don't know if it was thanks to the morning runs or adrenaline, but I felt unlimited etamine. I didn't get tired. I looked to the left, to the right, looking for that lake. The buildings visible in addition to the bridge were completely destroyed. The latter was held in place by a pillar that remained intact, but there would be no bridge. In the end, after running for about 3 minutes, I reached the area where the lake was located. It wasn't very big, but it wasn't very small either. A simple mistake could trigger my death.
Thousands of thoughts and ideas for a safer jump went through my head. I leaned on the small wall of the bridge that prevented cars from falling as if nothing had happened.
"I could throw the gun in the water to save weight," I thought. "If it's deep, I'm most likely to lose sight of it," I replied.
Between the bridge and the lake there could very well be 6 meters high. It was far enough away to die of a bad impact against the water.
My hands started to sweat, but I was able to fight it off thanks to the gloves I was wearing. I held on tightly to the wall, and, with a little effort and nervousness, climbed the wall.
I kept my balance while observing the altitude more closely. Why was the water moving away from me? it is as if there were twice as much height as it was just a moment ago.
I couldn't see the bottom, that was a good sign.
Small waves were generated, crashing against the small stone shore that was next to the lake. I couldn't see any stone or object that affected my jump.
I took a deep breath. Once, twice.
The air entered with difficulty, as if it were already submerged in the water before leaping. My throat felt dry, my legs tense, my hands sweating inside my gloves.
I adjusted the strap of the rifle on my back tightly, but I wasn't convinced. The weight was too much. One wrong move, one poorly executed turn during the fall and I'd go to the bottom like a stone.
I couldn't risk it.
I took off my gun with trembling hands, gave it one last look, and threw it into the lake.
The metal cut through the air with a brief whistle before disappearing into the water.
"Then I'll look for her... if I'm still alive."
I took two steps back.
The heart was pounding against my ribs as if trying to escape before I did.
I approached the edge of the wall, rested a hand and with effort climbed on top of it.
The soles of his boots scraped the concrete. The air was colder up there, or maybe it was me, paralyzed with doubt.
"Fuck the fear," I whispered.
I bent my knees, brought my arms crossed to my chest, and jumped.
The world became wind.
The beats in my ears muffled out any other sounds.
I didn't see anything, I didn't think about anything.
It was just a falling human projectile, straight body, firm legs.
The impact with the water was brutal. Like crashing into a liquid wall. He hit my face, chest, legs. The cold devoured my senses. I dived deep, too deep.
The darkness surrounded me for an eternal instant.
I forced myself not to panic.
I moved my arms, I kicked hard.
The body struggled to rise, to find air, not to give in to the bottom.
And then, the surface.
I emerged with a gasp.
I coughed up water, air and fear at the same time.
I came out of the water with my heart overcoming a speed that seemed impossible. I lay down on the shore. I put a hand on my chest. I took a couple of deep breaths until I could be calmer. Hopefully, next to me, was the rifle I threw away. The water carried things with all its force towards the shore.
— My first mission and I'm already risking my life. I'd better be selected as a core member," I said, encouraging myself.
I slowly began to get up. When I managed to stand upright, I grabbed my rifle and glanced at it, checking that everything was in order. I slung it on my back and ran in the direction of the warehouse. It wasn't far, in fact, I could see it from my current position.
Suddenly the earpiece began to ring. Someone was trying to contact me.
"Lucas?" asked the voice in my ear.
"Soukaku!" I exclaimed. "What's wrong?"
"Miyabi just said that you went to jump into a lake from a bridge." Is that true?" he asked in a terrified voice.
— Yes.. It is.
"And are you okay!?"
"Yes... if it wasn't, we wouldn't be talking.
"God... You don't know how bad we had a hard time. I thought that... that you had...
"I'm sorry.
"Stupid!"
Before I knew it, I had already arrived at the warehouse. I didn't see Miyabi anywhere, that gave me to understand that he was already fighting.
"Are you at the base?" I asked.
"I'm in the helicopter, on my way to her.
That calmed me down. No one had been hurt. Or at least that's what we thought.
"I have to cut off communication. Miyabi is waiting for me.
— Joe... I agree. I hope to see you safe and sound back at base.
"I'll try." Short.
Communication was cut off instantly.
In a hurry, I entered the warehouse. It was in an eerie silence, no fight could be heard. Had Miyabi finished them all?
My body forced me to point the rifle everywhere to feel safer. I took him off his back and put myself on guard. I slowed down my steps to make as little noise as possible.
The warehouse was in perfect condition. It was not collapsed nor was there any debris inside it. Everything was filled with huge boxes and cargo containers. It was obvious after all, we were next to the sea. I came to a dead end. There was no way to continue forward. If Miyabi were here, he could help me climb on top of the containers blocking the way.
Crack!
"FUCK!" he gave me. It was accurate.
It wasn't an explosion. It wasn't a sword piercing my skin. It was a sniper shot.
The bullet went through my shoulder and hit the container behind me. The impact was such that I fell to the ground. The adrenaline didn't help, the pain was intense. A couple of tears came out of my eyes. Out of sheer inertia, I dropped the rifle and grabbed the man. Blood was pouring from my shoulder, spilling onto the ground little by little. The caliber was not large enough to cause me to bleed to death, but large enough to cause a large wound.
My heart raced, causing a little more blood to gush out than usual. So much so that I started to have a nosebleed.
I crawled to a place where there was no angle for another accurate shot. I sat inside an open container.
That shot was not fired by an ethereal being.
Bounty hunter? Drug dealers? Criminal gangs?
It could be anything. I didn't have any bandages on hand so I could make tourniquet over my shoulder. I had to hold the blood running down my arm and staining every place I passed.
Heat began to affect the impact area.
I peeked slightly over the edge of the container, trying to locate the source of the shot. Nothing. The warehouse was still in that awkward silence, as if the walls themselves were waiting for something else to happen.
My breath was ragged, the pain in my shoulder was stabbing, but I couldn't afford to pass out here. I couldn't.
Suddenly, I heard something. A metallic sound, like the click of a mechanism. It was subtle, but clear enough to make me alert.
I stood still, not breathing, just waiting. The seconds passed like hours, and the pain in my shoulder intensified with each beat of my heart. The bleeding was slowed by the pressure, but I didn't know how long I could take.
A faint glow crossed the corner of my vision. It was the flash of a peephole.
There it was.
Someone was watching, aiming. Who? What did they want?
Before I could move, a figure emerged from the shadows, shrouded in a dark cloak. The metallic glow of the rifle was pointed at me.
"We've been waiting for you," said a cold, calculating voice. It was not a threat, but an affirmation.
My mind couldn't process it at first. Waiting. Who?
The man in the shadow took a step towards me, and the light of a flashlight partially revealed his face. A scar, a piercing look, something familiar, but of what? The wound on my shoulder burned hard, but my eyes couldn't get away from it.
"You don't know what you've done," he continued, his tone as if it were a punishment rather than a warning. But you'll soon find out.
I sat up a little, the rifle still hanging from my back. I gritted my teeth.
"Who are you?" I demanded, trying to stand my ground, despite the confusion and fear that gripped me.
The man smiled enigmatically, almost as if he was amused by my bewilderment. Then, he took out a small device from his pocket and pressed a button.
A humming sound, followed by a metallic creak, echoed through the warehouse.
"Here it comes. And it will be much worse than you can imagine.
At that moment, the back door of the warehouse opened violently. Something, or someone, entered with an inhuman force.
A giant shadow appeared through the entrance.
And then I understood.
Not only had we been observed...
The hunt was about to begin.