“What. The…” The leader of the pursuers k down by the pile of ash. His fingers hesitantly reached for the few ers left on the floor dang from the wind ing through the broken window: “How is this possible - ”

  “They just saw him - he’s getting into another building.” Another maed via the handheld radio: “Should we pursue?”

  “Get him. Dead or alive. We’ve gotta bring him back otherwise we’re dead.” The leader responded: “Tell me where he is heading.”

  “To the north of the house. ” The other man responded: “He’s injured, and we’ll keep tailing.”

  “Don’t rush till we fnk him. If we , I want him alive.” The leader spoke through his teeth: “As alive as possible.”

  “Uood.”

  “Let’s go! You, you, e with me.” The leader of the pursuers poi two men in bck behind him, then poi others: “All the rest of you, circle around the house and fnk the son of a bitch. Keep your positions known.”

  “On it!” “Okay!”

  But just when they exited this house where the burnt book was, two shotgun bsts broke the silence of the night once again. One man ran out from the backdoor of the house on the north. But his back was struck by a kit knife before he could get very far, which brought him down on the ground.

  “Fuck! Surround the house! Surround the house!” The leader almost panicked and barked at all of his men.

  “Bang! Bang!” Two shots fired from behind the backdoor, one bullet struan’s left shoulder, and the sed shot nded on his left arm.

  “Fire! Fire!” The men outside armed with guns immediately fired back. Bullets tore apart the wooden walls, the door itself and the windows in the back.

  Everyo firing until their current magazines and clips were empty. They did not coordiheir reload, but it seemed there was no need, for no shot was fired ba their dire.

  “Let’s go in. Tread carefully.” The leader waved at all the other men around him: “Block all entrances and keep your eyes sharp. Those with guns, follow me.”

  Three men followed their leader. Only one had a shotgun like the leader, and the other two only had very crude handguns. The other men, with their knives, swords and makeshift fils, gathered around the doors and windows.

  The leader stepped through the backdoor and checked the ground, there was no blood or any n of injuries. After another look around, he waved at the three men behind him aured them to e in and search with him.

  No one was on the first floor, so the leader ahe oh a shotgun to lead the way, while the two other men with handguns would follow him. It was quiet, maybe even too quiet.

  “Quiet, careful.” The leader used gestures to tell the first man, before raising the shotgun up and pointing ahead.

  The first man swallowed, then took a few small steps up the stairs. He gasped and almost opened fire when he made it past a turn. After firming no one was waiting to ambush him, he walked upwards with slightly hastened footsteps.

  “Sir - there’s blood up here.” The first maed: “I think he’s hurt, so we’d better - ” A gunshot shut him up. Blood spshed from his chest, shoulder and back. It was one single shotgun bst at a cle, he did not stand a ce.

  The leader ducked back, and the two men with handguns began firing upwards at the thin wall around the er of the staircase. The hail of bullets tore up the wall. And to the leader’s relief, he heard a grunt from their target.

  After the two men expeheir magazihe leader took a deep breath a upwards out of the staircase. There were a few pools of blood on the empty space, and some droplets leading into a room. He did not want to take a ce, so he just gestured to the two men behind him and ahem to get ready to fire.

  But before all of them could pull their triggers. A man broke through the wall with a double barrel shotgun, firing one loaded barrel. The man on the leader’s right was bsted in the chest and thrown bato the staircase. Before the leader or the man on his left could react, their target’s body already smmed into him.

  The impact of a Qi-iackle shocked the leader and almost squeezed the air out of his lungs. Lucky for him he had his Qi defeivated this whole time, and the target was not in his prime fighting state from his injuries, he only got the wind knocked out of him, and he could still fight.

  A knee in the chest was enough for the leader of the pursuers to knock his target back. He tried to point his shotgun at his target, but the target just cwed the gun off his hand.

  “Bang bang!” The man with a handgun fired, the target was stru his back. His movements stopped. This might just be the st bit of damage him down.

  The leader jumped back up, took a deep breath before looking down at his target. The man was shot in the abdome leg and right shoulder. But his eyes were still open. His breathing was slowing down. Unfortunately, there was no way t him back alive.

  “Captain Kht?” The leader k down by his target: “You fucker. You’ve got me in a lot of trouble now. Good-fug-bye.”

  The room dimmed all of a sudden. Everything was already dark, only the light posts outside and the moon were providing lighting, and none of them was blocked or dimmed. The darkness came from ihe room.

  I'm having some family health emergencies ao head home week. So no updates week, and the following updates might be irregur.

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