Chereads / Forge of Shadows / Chapter 24 - Traffic

Chapter 24 - Traffic

Haiti grabbed the nearest object to her, which was a keyboard, that she used to block the knife the person brought close to her face. So close she could see her tired, fearful eyes on the reflection.

They push against her, making her hit her back on the table, continuing to push as the knife grew closer to her face.

Using all the strength she could muster up, she pushed the person off her, sending them into the shadows again.

"Who are you?" She asked, getting no reply.

Standing there, Haiti kept her ears alert when she heard a sharp movement to the left of her, something like metal against metal.

Using the keyboard as a shield, she held it up, blocking her face as the metal dagger stopped only inches from her eyes.

Another movement from the right of her and she barely managed to block the attack when it whizzed past and cut her across the cheek.

A tiny trickle of blood ran down her face, throwing her off slightly as the person continued to attack. She tried to protect herself as much as she could but with every second that passed, the person seemed to become faster.

What the hell is going on? She thought, grabbing a chair and throwing it at the person who disappeared and reappeared in front of the chair.

They were wearing all black, from head to toe. This helped them to blend with the darkness that surrounds them.

In the split second they vanished, Haiti noticed movements in front of the computer she was on, trying to tear the CPU apart. Her body moved before she could fully understand what she was doing.

They came surprisingly well prepared. She remarked, dodging their attack and running past the first person, pulling out a gun from under the table and shot one bullet at the person.

The bullet went straight through the second person's skull, killing him instantly as they slumped to the ground with a thud.

She stopped in front of her computer, gathering the papers while keeping a lookout. The other person vanished completely now.

Movements came from around the room. This person seems very aware of their environment. A little too aware.

More metal sounds as she grabbed the monitor as quickly as she could, blocking two daggers out of three. The third one hitting her leg, making her grunt in pain.

She stared at the silver dagger sticking out of her leg, keeping it in place to stop the blood from spilling out.

While she hissed in pain, the person only sat on one of the tables, staring at her with their bluish-grey eyes.

They are toying with me. She remarked, annoyed. Seems like they are not in any hurry but ... I am outmatched.

Her vision blurred slightly as she stared at the person in front of her, seeing two of them.

When was the last time I slept? Two days ago? I can't remember. What day is today again?

As the person approached her, Haiti grabbed the CPU in her hands, forcing herself to focus while she ran to the door, as fast as her injured leg would let her.

I am not going to escape this. She thought, reaching into her pocket and pulling a circular plastic ball about the size of a fingernail that seems to be covered with purple smoke on the inside.

Clinching it tightly in her hands, she broke the sphere, sending the purple smoke all around the room as she made it to the door, throwing it open and running out to a darkened hallway.

She paused for a split second, then took the path to her left, running until her lungs burnt and the machine in her hands grew heavier with every second that passed.

I need to get this to that place. She thought, hardly able to tell where she is but she kept going. The movements behind her telling that her pursuer is still on her trail.

I have always been awful when it comes to running. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself as the lights flickered on again and she quickly took a left into another room.

Closing the door behind her, she kicked down a bookshelf to block the door with her strong leg. The heavy rotting wood crashed down on the door, breaking into pieces.

Taking a second to catch her breath, Haiti rushed to the back of the room and began destroying the CPU with as much strength as her body would allow her to use.

"Come on." She hissed, looking through the broken pieces for the HDD of the computer, relief washing over her as she finally spotted it.

Grabbing the device, she looked it over, not understanding what they would want with this. But I am not going to let them have it.

Not being aware of her surroundings, a dagger implanted itself on her arm, numbing it as the HDD fell to the ground. She picked it up as quickly as she could with her other hand.

The arm with the dagger implanted in it falling slack as her vision became unsteady once again. Her legs shook under her weight, almost like they could not hold her up as the numbness crept up her thigh.

Collapsing to her knees, she clutched the HDD tight, holding out the gun in front of her as she pressed against the wall, breathing uneven and heavy.

I need to get this out of here. She thought, staring at the broken door. Haiti looked around her for the person chasing after her but the flickering lights followed by darkness made every object look like the figure of a person.

Her heartbeat drummed against her ears, face heating up while she attempted to stay focused.

These daggers are laced with poison she thought, looking at one on her thigh and the other on her arm. But if I pull this out now …

One thing at a time, Haiti. One thing at a time. She thought, shaking her head to try and clear her vision. The HDD stared back at her, making her grit her teeth in annoyance.

"You are brave and smart." A man's voice came from the figure carefully approaching Haiti who is staring at the HDD still.

"Is that an attempt at flirting with me?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the man. "Sorry, I already have someone I like."

He only scoffed, crouching to her eye level. "Do you know why we want that so much?"

"Why don't you tell me?" She retorted, holding the HDD tight in her trembling hand, hardly able to move it. "Maybe if your reasoning is good, I will give it to you."

"I don't know either." He said, standing back up and shrugging. "Not like it matters. I only have to destroy it and I am going to get paid."

"So you are doing this to get paid?" She asked, sighing in annoyance. "Who are you working for?"

"Does it matter?" He asked, sitting on top of some of the rubble from the bookshelf, looking at her glare at him. "Don't look at me like that. How about this, if you destroy that by yourself, I will let you live."

"Pardon?"

"I was not told to kill anyone, not that I won't but it is a messy affair and I would like to avoid it as much as I can. I only came to destroy that. So, if you destroy it, I will just leave and this will never be spoken of again. What do you think?"

If I destroyed this, they might leave me alone. She thought chewing at her lower lip. But then, I will never know what it is they want from this.

"Wouldn't it be better to live another day?" He asked, taking off his mask, dyed reddish-orange hair flopping out. "Don't make me have to kill you."

"You … you are just a kid." She said, feeling her vision continued to fade.

"You don't have long." The boy said, holding out a bottle of translucent liquid in his hands. "The poison in the blades will kill you in a minute, tops. Hurry up. Isn't there anything you have to live for?"

"Is it even worth it in the end, Haiti?" The woman's voice flashed across her mind. "Who even cares anymore?"

"Do we exist in mother's world anymore?" The boy asked, trying to hold back tears.

"What good is the dead anymore? Working your whole life till you die, is that how you wish to live?" She remembered her mother shouting at her after she got injured and had to be admitted to the ICU.

"How do you know the people you help or the people you save are going to turn to decent people in the future and not a liability?"

One by one, the people that she helped both in the other dimension and even outside of that ended up taking their own life.

Even the woman her friend saved killed herself, her body was found when Haiti went to check up on her.

She stared at the HDD. If I destroy this, I will never be able to work in helping them anymore. A traitor. But ... everyone dies, right?

"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!" A boy's voice suddenly pulled her out of her thoughts.

His black hair rustled with the wind as he shook her, anger burning on his one good eye.

Instantly the woman's eyes widened as she pulled out the dagger from her arm and threw it to the boy in front of her.

The boy, though not paying attention, caught the blood-soaked dagger, looked at her, disappointed.

"So this is your answer."

"Sorry." She smirked, forcing herself to try and stand up. "I have to look cool for someone I know. By the way, what's taking you so damn long?"

"Apologies. Traffic." A voice came from the shadows as a person in a pair of matching, blood-soaked hoodie and sweatpants emerged out of it, smirking as she spat out her smoke. "Now, is that the pest?"