SHOT IN THE DARK

The masked man and the other man advanced toward Rafe and Derek, their blades glinting.

“Surrender now,” the masked man muttered.

But Rafe stepped in front of Derek, shielding him as he clenched his fists.

The first man lunged, aiming his blade at Rafe’s chest. Rafe caught his wrist midair and smashed his head into the man’s jaw. The impact made the attacker stumble as blood spilled from his mouth.

Rafe wrenched the blade from him and drove it into his stomach. The man’s eyes widened in shock before his body went limp and collapsed.

“Hide somewhere in the forest,” Rafe ordered.

Derek ran shakily as Rafe pulled the blade free and turned to face the masked man, who gritted his teeth.

The masked man rushed him. Rafe swung his leg to kick, but the man stabbed downward, the tip of the blade piercing through Rafe’s footwear and into his foot. Pain shot through him, making him stagger, but he forced himself upright, his jaw tight as he stared coldly at his attacker.

The masked man came again, throwing a punch. Rafe caught his hand and squeezed hard. The man growled in pain and reached for another blade at his waist, thrusting toward Rafe’s stomach. Rafe trapped the weapon inches from his skin, veins bulging with effort.

The masked man strained, pushing forward, but he was no match for Rafe’s grip.

“Stop this madness already!!” Lucas roared, stepping out of the shadows, shoving Derek forward and raising a gun at him.

The metallic click echoed, quickly Rafe looked up, his heart shattering when he saw the gun aimed at Derek’s trembling body.

“No! Don’t!” he thundered, half pleading, half furious.

Lucas’s lips curved into a smile. “Then stop fighting… stop trying to protect someone when you know you can’t.”

Rafe stared at the masked man in front of him, torn between releasing his grip and attacking, but the man’s eyes still burned with rage, teeth clenched.

Rafe suddenly kicked him hard with his uninjured leg, sending him flying back.

Lucas fired a warning shot into the air, then aimed at Derek again as his hands and legs shook violently.

Rafe slowly raised his hands up. “I accept…” he began, then met Derek’s gaze.

“I can’t protect you when I haven’t even protected myself.”

Derek shook his head slowly in denial as Lucas grabbed him, pressing the pistol against his skull.

“The reason I haven’t shot your bodyguard,” Lucas whispered to Derek, “is because I find him interesting.”

Then he turned to Rafe.

“You’ve got skills and potential, work with me. Be my bodyguard, and let’s make the world ours. What do you say?”

Rafe met Derek’s eyes, seeing the plea written all over his face.

“Don’t agree, Rafe,” Derek whispered, forcing his trembling voice steady.

Rafe remained silent, expression unreadable.

“He’s too good to be on your side,” Lucas muttered to Derek, shoving the gun closer to his face.

“You bastard,” Derek said coldly. “You want everything I have. You can take it all but not him.”

Lucas’s jaw tightened in anger as he turned back to Rafe.

“What do you say, man?” he demanded impatiently.

Rafe exhaled. “I’ll be your bodyguard… on one condition.”

Lucas scoffed. “What ridiculous condition?”

“My old boss,” Rafe said calmly, drifting his eyes to Derek, “should do one of what I did the second time we met. Just to show respect.”

Derek stared in confusion, then remembered: the second time he met Rafe was when Rafe had saved him; fighting.

“But… I can’t fight,” Derek whispered to himself.

“And what’s that?” Lucas asked irritably.

Rafe nodded gently.

Suddenly, Derek jerked his head and slammed it into Lucas’s jaw unexpectedly. The hit sent Lucas staggering back, losing his balance.

Rafe moved instantly, punching Lucas hard in the stomach and knocking him down. The gun slipped from Lucas’s hand. Rafe grabbed it and kicked Lucas repeatedly in the ribs before tossing the weapon to Derek, who caught it with shaking hands.

Rafe struck Lucas, punching him on the face till blood spilled from his nose.

“But… you accepted to be my bodyguard,” Lucas groaned.

Rafe answered with one final punch that knocked him unconscious.

Then the sound of engines approached.

“We need to leave now,” Rafe muttered, grabbing Derek and pulling him into the dark forest.

They hid behind thick trees as the same masked man stepped toward Lucas, scanning the area.

He spoke into his walkie-talkie.

“Lock the location and get here now.”

“We need to go,” Derek whispered fearfully. “He’s calling more men.”

“No,” Rafe replied quietly. “In situations like this, you wait and study your enemy’s next move.”

A van arrived moments later. About twenty masked men jumped down, surrounding the area.

“Find them,” the masked man ordered. “They’re still around. Kill them!”

Two men lifted Lucas and carried him into the vehicle.

“We need to run,” Rafe whispered. “What about the gun I gave you?”

Derek pulled it from his pocket and handed it back.

They crept deeper into the forest until they found a cluster of trees tightly packed together.

“Let’s rest here,” Derek said weakly, exhaustion dragging him down.

“Maybe,” Rafe replied, still scanning the darkness.

They moved closer, as Derek staggered finally arriving at the spot with his lungs burning.

“I… I can’t keep running,” he whispered, even though fear screamed at him not to stop.

Rafe remained alert, eyes sweeping for movement.

“Hands up!” a cold voice commanded.

Rafe turned sharply, searching for the speaker then:

Bang!

A bullet tore through the air toward him.